Gaza residents find joy in the beautiful game - on a soccer pitch surrounded by destruction скачать в хорошем качестве

Gaza residents find joy in the beautiful game - on a soccer pitch surrounded by destruction

(14 Feb 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Gaza City, Gaza Strip - 14 February 2026 1. Wide of new soccer field amid the rubble in Gaza city 2. Players in action during the match 3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Khalil Abu Sultan, former soccer player: ++SOUNDBITE STARTS ON SHOT 3 AND CONTINUES TILL 6++ "We are all upset, many have lost their homes and families. We felt suffocated and wanted to come to enjoy ourselves a little, to escape the issues and misery we were facing.” 4. Wide of pitch amid rubble 5. Mid of destroyed building 6. Various of spectators 7. Players 8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Adel Felfel, soccer spectator: ++SOUNDBITE STARTS ON SHOT 8 AND CONTINUES OVER 11++ "We have nothing to do. The Israelis have left us with no work or any other activities, so we come here to spend time. We come to watch things we have been deprived of. We enjoy ourselves. We cheer clubs we supported even before the war, back when soccer was just soccer." 9. Spectators 10. Wide of pitch and players 11. Mid of spectators 12. Wide of pitch and players 13. View from damaged building of pitch 14. Pan across pitch STORYLINE: A new soccer field was opened earlier this week among the rubble of Gaza City, an attempt to bring some joy and a space for recreation to the hundreds of thousands Palestinians living in the devastated territory. "We came because we wanted to watch and to relieve some of the stress and worries of the situation we're in, hoping that sports will gradually return to us," said Khalil Abu Sultan, a former soccer player. Many spectators sat on the rubble of destroyed houses to watch the match. "We have nothing to do. They (Israelis) have left us with no work or any other activities, so we come here to spend time. We come to watch things that we have been deprived of," said Adel Felfel, another spectator who came to watch the game. Several buildings were destroyed next to the field, serving a stark reminder of the devastation surrounding the new soccer field. The United Nations Satellite Center estimated that 83% of all structures in Gaza City had been destroyed or had some damage by late September. It has said around 78% of structures across all of Gaza had been destroyed or sustained damage by July. Israel launched its offensive after Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 hostage in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. The military accuses Hamas of concealing military assets beneath or near heritage sites, as well as other civilian structures. Israel’s military offensive killed over 72,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, and erased entire extended families. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. But it does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants. =========================================================== Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: info@aparchive.com. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...