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Palestine Stadium (Arabic: ملعب فلسطين) is located in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, Palestine. It is the national stadium and the home of Palestine national football team. The stadium's capacity is around 10,000.

It was bombed by Israel on April 1, 2006, directly on the centre spot, which made the stadium unusable due to the crater formed. FIFA announced that it would fund the repair work. It was again bombed on November 19, 2012, by the Israeli Defence Force as part of Operation Pillar of Cloud. Israel said that the latest bombing was due to its use by Hamas militants to launch rockets targeting Israel. The stadium and a nearby indoor sports hall suffered major damage and resulted in football players from around the globe releasing a signed petition.

As of 2019, the stadium had been repaired by FIFA and has hosted several events, both in the indoor sports halls and the outdoor field.

During the 2023 Israel–Hamas war the stadium would again be targeted by Israeli airstrikes leaving it inoperable as the Palestinian national team seeks to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The national team will use the Sharjah Stadium in the United Arab Emirates as their new home venue. Per media reports, the location has been converted into an Israeli Defence Forces detention camp, with video depicting detainees, including children, shared by Israeli sources via social media.

References

1. ^ "FIFA Pledges Help to Rebuild Gaza Stadium". Naharnet. 27 November 2012. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
2. "Field artillery - Bombings in kibbutz and Gaza represent new pitch invasion". Archived from the original on 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2009-01-04.
3. "FIFA to fund Gaza soccer field repair". ynet. 11 April 2006.
4. Jewish Press Staff (19 November 2012). "IAF Bombed the Gaza Stadium, where Missiles Were Fired from the Grass". The Jewish Press.
5. Fenn, Alec (17 November 2012). "Gaza stadium hit by Israeli air attack". goal.com. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
6. "Soccer stars protest Gaza bombing". CNN. 2012-12-02. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
7. Asad, Mohammed (15 April 2019). "Amputee football championships held in Gaza". middleeastmonitor.com. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
8. Kamal, Sanaa (22 November 2019). huaxia (ed.). "Goalball tries to make its way in Gaza Strip". xianhuanet.com. Archived from the original on November 27, 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
9. "Gaza Amputees Turn To Football To Overcome Disabilities And Trauma". icrcnewsroom.org. 5 January 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
10. Mahmud, Ramzi; Topcu, Gulsen. "Israeli warplanes bomb locations in Gaza Strip". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
11. Nazare, Pearl Josephine; Birsel, Robert. "Gaza conflict takes toll on Palestinian players, says PFA official". Reuters. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
12. "Israeli military converts Gaza stadium into mass detention camp". Middle East Monitor. Retrieved 4 February 2024.

31°31′19.4″N 34°27′5.1″E / 31.522056°N 34.451417°E / 31.522056; 34.451417

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