The Palestinian national football team has arrived in Spain on what their coach, Ehab Abu Jazar, describes as a mission that goes far beyond sport. The team is scheduled to play symbolic friendly matches against the Basque Country and Catalonia, using football as a platform to draw attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Training at Athletic Bilbao’s Lezama facility on Friday, Abu Jazar cut a determined figure as he guided his players through drills ahead of Saturday’s match at San Mames, where a crowd of about 50,000 supporters is expected. The Basque region has shown strong solidarity with the Palestinian cause, reflected earlier this year in the protests that disrupted the Vuelta a España cycling tour.
For the squad, ranked 98th in the world, this is their first match on European soil. Their hopes of qualifying for their maiden World Cup ended in the third round of the Asian qualifiers, but the team now finds itself carrying a different kind of responsibility.
Abu Jazar’s personal story has become emblematic of the suffering in Gaza. He has lost dozens of relatives to the Israel-Hamas war. “We have almost 200 martyrs from the family. My own house was destroyed. My mother and other relatives are still living in a tent,” he told AFP, describing the emotional strain he and many Palestinians endure daily.
Most players in the squad have never visited Gaza. They are scattered across the world — in Qatar, Iceland, Chile and the United States — forming the last functioning layer of Palestinian football after local leagues and clubs collapsed under two years of bombardment. Among those lost is Suleiman Al-Obeid, 41, widely regarded as the “Palestinian Pele”, who the local football association says was killed while waiting for humanitarian aid.
Abu Jazar said the friendlies in Spain are intended to draw global attention to the suffering of civilians. “Our message to the whole world is this put pressure on this occupation to stop this genocide,” he said, adjusting the keffiyeh around his neck.
He warned that despite a fragile ceasefire announced on October 10, conditions remain dire. “Death continues in Gaza, famine continues, there is no shelter. Winter is coming and tents cannot protect anyone,” he said, calling for stronger international action.
Proceeds from the charity fixtures will be donated to Doctors Without Borders to support medical relief efforts. Defender Yasser Hamed, who was born in Bilbao and came through the Athletic Bilbao academy, said the tour is meant to give ordinary Palestinians “a voice they don’t have” while also raising funds for essential humanitarian services.
“This money will help a lot, especially in rebuilding hospitals and delivering medicines,” he said, adding that being able to play football while others are starving makes him appreciate “every plate and every little thing” in life.
Forward Ahmed Al-Qaq, born in the United States to Palestinian parents, hopes the matches will “open the world’s eyes” to the crisis. He said the team tries to give people in Gaza something to hold onto. “We are not politicians, but as players, we give people something to look forward to.”
Asked whether defeat would dampen their spirit, he smiled. “We’ll recover. It’s in our genes to always get back up when we fall.”
