In blockaded Gaza, World Cup fans watch from the sidelines
Hundreds of fans gathered at a sports hall in Gaza City on Sunday, which Qatar prepared for the Palestinian residents of the impoverished territory to watch the World Cup matches for free.
The fans looked attentively at the large screen as the opener game between Qatar and Ecuador kicked off.
The event was a gesture by the Qatar Committee for Reconstruction of Gaza, an arm of the wealthy Arabian Peninsula state's foreign affairs ministry. Through the committee, Qatar has funneled over $1 billion since 2013 for major rehabilitation projects, including residential complexes, hospitals, and roads, as well as for post-war reconstruction.
"Like other countries, one had an ambition to go to Qatar, see the stadiums and players on the ground, but the conditions in Gaza doesn't permit," said Emran al-Shawa, a Gaza resident.
Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade on Gaza when the militant Hamas group seized the territory in 2007. The blockade and wars with Israel have worsened living conditions in Gaza. Travel outside the densely populated territory is severely restricted.
"We could not go to Qatar and watch the World Cup because of the siege first, the economic condition second. Many things prevent us from going there to attend the matches, but the main factor that blocked us from going there is the (Israeli) occupation and its siege," said another fan, Anas Snounou.
21 November 2022, 14:46
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Why exactly couldn't they leave via the Rafah Crossing into Egypt and fly from there to Qatar?
Simple answer, so that they could once again blame Israel for their situation.
21 November 2022, 17:15
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Why did you build israel on stolen land? Why do you refuse to let the refugees return home to their cities and villages and ignore the fact that 80% of the people in Gaza hail from tel aviv, askelan, asdoud and the other surrounding areas where you built settlements? Why did you bomb hodpitals, schools, hotels , homes, zoos and everything civilian yet have the nerve to object when you get blamed for your crimes and the misery it causes? Simple answer, because you are psycopaths who do not fear God and learned nothing from the holocaust.
21 November 2022, 18:24
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Last time I checked only people who are over 75 (i.e. born in 1948 and left their homes) can possibly be refugees according to all international definitions (except for UNWRA). All the others are decendents of refugees who were born in other countries, including your own Lebanon which for all these years has kept them closed in in refugee camps and not allowed them to become integrated into Lebanese society and life.
I'm quite sure that your Hamas and Jihad Islami friends in Gaza couldn't care less when they fired rockets at civilian homes killing men, women and children in Ashdod, Ashkelon, and other towns and villages in the area.
