On November 15, 2023, the escalating conflict in Gaza claimed the life of Mohammed Safi, a dedicated football coach and physical education teacher. Murdered at 25 by an Israeli air strike, Shadi’s death has left his family in darkness and mourning. The local sports community is likewise in shock trying to fathom this deep loss. Safi’s wife, Nermeen, is now coming to terms with the reality of their family’s displacement. She and their four children—Shaker Jr., Amir, Alma, and Taif—must now contend with the enormous void caused by his absence. Even before the full devastation of this tragedy came to light, the broader war in the last month has predictably destroyed much of Gaza’s sports infrastructure.
The damage to sports infrastructure in Gaza is sobering. Human Rights Watch Reports have documented that at least 270 sports infrastructure have been damaged, with 189 completely flattened and 81 partially destroyed. Early projections of physical damage to the sports sector exceed the hundreds of millions. Today the war still continues and deeply threatens athletes and coaches’ lives. It jeopardizes their livelihoods and impacts their mental as well as physical health.
The Legacy of Mohammed Safi
Mohammed Safi spent years creating a legacy of optimism and promise through athletics. He’s coached through academies and neighborhood teams, changing scrappy clubs into hometown heroes. His dedication to nurturing raw talent and opening the doors of future possibilities through sports to the youth earned him the love and admiration of people in Gaza.
She remembers his dreams of one day being a FIFA international referee, of getting a master’s degree. Instead, he became a casualty of war, “killed for being a symbol of life and youth.”
“He was a man of dreams, not politics,” – Nermeen
Shaker Safi looks back on his son Mohammed’s extraordinary sporting successes. He goes on to illustrate the profound way their absence has impacted the family’s lives and the community.
The larger community continues to reckon with this loss. It’s becoming apparent now that each athlete, as we learned over the summer, is more than just an elite competitor—they’re pillars of support for their communities.
“He believed sport could lift youth from despair. But war reached him before he could reach the world,” – Shaker
The current hostilities have decimated organized sports for children and youth all over Gaza. Shadi Abu Armanah, head coach of Palestine’s amputee football team, had a vision. He hoped to get back to training in about six months when the war started. His team of 25 players and five coaching staff members was gaining impressive traction before the conflict. Now, they face an uncertain future.
“Each athlete was a community pillar. They weren’t numbers. They were symbols of hope, unity, and perseverance. Losing them has deeply wounded Palestinian society,” – Asaad al-Majdalawi, vice president of the Palestinian Olympic Committee.
The Broader Impact on Gaza’s Sports Sector
Regrettably, the harshness of life under war has turned their attention from sports to staying alive.
“For amputees, sport was a second chance,” – Shadi Abu Armanah
The picture is no better for aspiring young athletes, as is the case with Yousef Abu Shawarib. He is the 20-year-old starting goalkeeper of Rafah’s first division club. He has since taken to conducting group fitness trainings in a tarpaulin tent set up in Khan Younis Stadium. This venue has undergone a radical transformation since, being repurposed into a shelter for nearly 12,000 internally displaced Gazans.
“Now they are just trying to survive,” – Shadi Abu Armanah
Soccer players Asaad al-Majdalawi tells us that Gaza’s entire sporting infrastructure has just days to survive before complete collapse. He fears that long disruptions to sporting life will be difficult for athletes. In turn, they will all endure physical, psychological, and professional regression.
“The war didn’t just destroy fields – it destroyed our futures,” – Yousef Abu Shawarib
In the wake of these terrible occurrences, the Palestinian Olympic Committee has been working tirelessly to get assistance. They are actively engaging with federations around the world and with global Olympic bodies to leverage that critical support. For them, that has too often met with silence from these institutions.
“This is not just loss – it’s extermination,” – Al-Majdalawi
Calls for Support and Accountability
Al-Majdalawi continues to voice his concerns about the ongoing lack of accountability and the indifference to Palestinian athletes.
He emphasizes that the ongoing conflict has not merely resulted in physical loss but poses a significant threat to the future of sports in Gaza. His estimates suggest that even if the war were to end today, it would take five to ten years to rebuild what has been lost.
“But at the decision-making level, Israel seems to operate above the law. There’s no accountability. It’s like sport doesn’t matter when it’s Palestinian,” – Al-Majdalawi
While Gaza’s sporting community continues to grieve their longtime losses, the reality is that this crisis goes well beyond single narratives. The destruction of facilities and loss of lives signifies a broader erasure of hope and potential for an entire generation of athletes.
As Gaza’s sporting community mourns its losses, it is clear that this crisis extends far beyond individual stories. The destruction of facilities and loss of lives signifies a broader erasure of hope and potential for an entire generation of athletes.
