Gaza Teenager Finds Refuge in Football Amid Decimation of Palestinian Sports

For 16-year-old Mohammed Eyad Azzam, football has evolved from a sport into a psychological lifeline. In the wake of an Israeli air attack that claimed the lives of his immediate family, the teenager now finds a brief escape from the trauma of war and the burdens of sudden adulthood on the football pitch in Gaza.

Mohammed describes himself as having been a “pampered” child before his life was fundamentally altered on October 11, 2024. On that morning, he was at home with his parents and two older brothers in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza when an Israeli warplane struck their multistorey building without warning, causing the structure to collapse on the family.

The attack left Mohammed as the sole survivor of his immediate family. He recalls the moments following the strike as a period of intense distress.

“I was sitting safely with my parents and my two older brothers … I was buried under the rubble for about 10 minutes,” Mohammed told Al Jazeera. “It was pure suffering.”

Al Jazeera

Mohammed was eventually dug out of the wreckage by his grandmother. He later recalled waking up in the home of a neighbor while connected to a ventilator, stating that he survived the collapse by a miracle.

The ongoing nature of the Israeli bombing campaign prevented Mohammed from providing his parents and brothers with traditional funerals at a cemetery. Instead, he was forced to bury his family members in a small, makeshift plot of land.

Following the loss of his parents and siblings, Mohammed was thrust into a role of primary caregiver. He now resides among thousands of displaced people in the Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza, where he serves as the sole provider for his elderly grandmother.

His daily routine has shifted from the typical activities of a teenager to essential survival tasks, including carrying heavy water containers and lighting fires for his grandmother.

Reflecting on the abrupt transition from childhood to adulthood, Mohammed noted the stark contrast in his existence.

“My life flipped from happiness to grief. I used to be pampered, but now I am responsible for everything,” he said.

Al Jazeera

Amidst these challenges and the decimation of Palestinian sports infrastructure, football remains the only outlet for Mohammed to manage his daily turmoil. Before the conflict, he was a promising player for the Khadamat Jabalia football club, and the sport continues to provide a momentary reprieve from the grief and responsibility of his current life.