ملعب فلسطين | |
Full name | Palestine International Stadium |
---|---|
Location | Al-Rimal, Gaza City Gaza Governorate, Palestine |
Capacity | 10,000 |
Surface | Grass |
Construction | |
Opened | 1967 |
Renovated | 1999 |
Demolished | 1 April 2006 (destroyed) |
Rebuilt | 2021 |
Tenants | |
Palestine national football team |
Palestine Stadium (Arabic: ملعب فلسطين) is located in Gaza City, Palestine. It is the national stadium and the home of Palestine national football team. The stadium's capacity is around 10,000.[1]
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.[2][3][1] It was again bombed on November 19, 2012, by the Israeli IDF as part of the 2012 Israeli attacks on Gaza. The stadium and a nearby indoor sports hall suffered major damage and resulted in notable football players from around the globe releasing a signed petition.[4][5]
As of 2019, the stadium had been repaired by FIFA[6] and has hosted several events, both in the indoor sports halls[7][8] and the outdoor field.
During the 2023–2024 Gaza–Israel war the stadium would again be attacked by Israeli bombs 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 home venue.[9][10] Per media reports, the location has been occupied by Israeli invaders and converted into an IDF interment camp, with video depicting victims, including children, shared by Israeli sources via social media.[11]