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Football club for Palestinian children at risk of destruction
A small artificial turf pitch in Bethlehem, used by over 200 young players from a nearby refugee camp, has been ordered demolished by Israeli authorities, who claim it was built without permits. The case has drawn global attention as a symbol of broader tensions in the occupied West Bank.
Background: A rare space for play in a crowded camp
The football field, constructed in 2020, sits on the edge of Bethlehem, adjacent to the towering concrete separation wall that divides Israel from much of the occupied West Bank. For children in the Aida refugee camp-home to descendants of Palestinians displaced in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war-it offers one of the few open spaces to train and play.
"We don't have anywhere else to play," said 10-year-old Naya, wearing a Brazil jersey with Neymar's name. "We are building our dreams here. If they demolish our field, they will demolish our dreams." Another player, Mohammed, described his distress upon learning of the demolition order: "I was upset. This is a field I really care for."
Legal battle and international outcry
The club received a demolition notice in November 2024, followed by a formal order. While a lawyer secured a seven-day reprieve, the extension expired on Monday, leaving the community with a grim choice: dismantle the pitch themselves or wait for Israeli authorities to do so-and foot the bill.
The club has rallied support through social media campaigns, a petition with hundreds of thousands of signatures, and messages from global advocates. However, Israeli officials maintain the pitch violates zoning laws, as the land falls under Area C-a designation from the 1990s Oslo Accords that grants Israel full civil and security control over 60% of the West Bank.
Contested land and shifting borders
Though Bethlehem is classified as Area A (under nominal Palestinian control), the maps show Israeli jurisdiction extending to the city's outskirts. The separation wall, built in the early 2000s to curb suicide attacks, has further complicated boundaries, leaving the pitch stranded on the Palestinian side but still under Israeli administrative authority.
Satellite images show the vacant plot in 2019 gradually transforming into a football field, nestled against the wall. Israeli authorities argue the construction lacked proper permits, while Palestinians counter that securing approvals in Area C is nearly impossible. Critics highlight the irony: while Palestinian structures face demolition, Israel continues expanding settlements-deemed illegal under international law-across the same territory.
Broader implications: Hope vs. control
Mohammad Abu Srour, a board member of the Aida Youth Centre, framed the demolition threat as part of a larger strategy. "The Israelis don't want us to have any kind of hope or opportunity," he said. "The moment we lose hope, we are going to leave. This is the only explanation for us."
The Israeli military, which oversees civilian affairs in the West Bank, defended the demolition order. "Along the security fence, there is a confiscation order and a prohibition on construction; therefore, the construction in the area was carried out unlawfully," an IDF statement said.
Settlements and the future of the West Bank
The dispute over the football pitch unfolds against a backdrop of escalating settlement expansion. In September 2025, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved a controversial plan to build housing for 20,000 Israelis between occupied East Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement-a move Palestinians say would bisect the West Bank and extinguish hopes for a viable state.
"There will be no Palestinian state," Netanyahu declared at the signing ceremony. "This place belongs to us." Some of his ministers have openly advocated for full annexation of the West Bank.
Uncertain future for Aida's young players
As the ceasefire in Gaza remains fragile and the broader conflict grinds on, the fate of the football pitch hangs in the balance. The children of Aida camp hope international pressure might sway authorities, but with the reprieve expired, the threat of demolition looms large.
For now, the young players continue to train on the contested turf, their dreams as precarious as the land beneath their feet.
