In Gaza, World Cup viewing becomes a struggle for power, signal and safety
In Gaza, where much of the infrastructure has been destroyed in the war and many residents are living in tents, schools or damaged buildings, even watching the World Cup has become difficult. Instead of a living room, TV and normal fan routines, people are relying on improvised screens, unstable internet and limited electricity.
Fadi Al-Arawi, a player in Gaza’s top football league, has not played since professional sport in the Strip stopped when the war began in 2023. Before the match between Qatar and Switzerland, he wore his old team kit, put on medals from earlier competitions and sat with friends in a room at a school in Khan Younis that has been turned into a shelter for displaced people. They tried to watch on a laptop, but the connection failed before kickoff. “The game hasn’t even started and the internet is already unstable,” he told Reuters, while Israeli aircraft could be heard overhead.
Elsewhere in the Strip, residents are also trying to follow the tournament. According to Euronews, during the opening match people gathered in tents, cafes and improvised viewing areas, despite repeated power cuts and a shortage of energy supplies. In some places, screens were set up for displaced families and residents who cannot watch from home. Reuters also described the Royal Cafe in Gaza City, where two backup power lines and a spare battery were installed so games could be shown at night after generators stop working.
Fuel shortages and damaged infrastructure make even running a screen or an internet connection far from routine. Still, residents quoted in the report said they keep coming to watch, even knowing the risk of gathering in public places. Hani Abu Rizk, watching a match in a Gaza City cafe, said the venue itself could be hit or a nearby target could be struck, but added that people are trying to preserve some kind of daily life. The war has also devastated Palestinian sport: the Palestinian Football Association says about 1,000 athletes have been killed since 2023 and about 285 sports facilities have been destroyed or damaged, while Gaza’s Al-Yarmouk Stadium, where Al-Arawi and other players once drew thousands of spectators, is now sheltering displaced families.
