The game was held in Kuwait instead of the seized West Bank because of the war between Israel and Hamas. The red, white, green, and black flag of Palestine was flown everywhere.
Egypt played Palestine in a World Cup match at Kuwait’s Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium. There were Palestinian flags and the black and white keffiyeh scarf flying high.
There were 60,000 people at the 60,000-seat venue on Tuesday for the football game. It was Palestine’s first game in front of fans since the Israel-Hamas war began.
“We care about Palestine. “Young and old came to the stadium to cheer,” Anfal Al-Azmi, a 45-year-old Kuwaiti woman, told the Agence France-Presse news agency.
Australia won 1-0 in a game where most of the action happened off the field. In the 18th minute, defender Harry Souttar scored the only goal.
Israel says that Hamas fighters attacked from the Gaza Strip on October 7 and killed 1,200 people and took about 240 prisoners in southern Israel. The game took place more than six weeks after that attack.
In reaction to its promise to destroy Hamas, Israel launched a fierce air and ground attack on Gaza, killing more than 14,100 people, including 5,600 children, according to Palestinian officials.
“The game doesn’t matter to us.” “We came to bring a message,” said 38-year-old Palestinian Wael Youssef Labbad from Ashkelon, Israel.
“The Palestinian people are always here with the keffiyeh and the flag.”
Palestine’s red, black, white, and green flag was flying everywhere at the game, which was moved from Ramallah to the occupied West Bank because of the war. Many fans wore the traditional keffiyehs and shouted.
Others held up “Free Gaza” signs and pictures of keys to represent the homes that Palestinians lost during the Nakba, or tragedy, when more than 700,000 Palestinians were forced to leave their homes around the time that Israel was founded in 1948.
The Australian players will donate a portion of their match fee to aid those in Gaza, where Graham Arnold, the visiting coach, described the situation as “horrific.”
There were fans who were not Palestinian. A lot of them came from places in the oil-rich Gulf country.
It’s like Kuwait and Palestine are one. “Today we are guests of Palestine on their land,” said 36-year-old Kuwaiti Ahmed Al-Anezi, who was wearing a keffiyeh and carrying the Palestinian flag.
“Today, my whole family and I came to support the Palestinian people and make the first Arab cause stronger in the hearts of my children.”
Yahya Shaher, 18, a Syrian college student, said, “We are here to help our brothers.” We are one, and we will win.”
