The Palestinian national football team has arrived in Doha, where they will compete as one of the 24 countries taking part in the Asian Cup amid Israel’s ongoing war with Gaza.
Members of the team say that while they hope football can help bring joy and pride to Palestinians during a time of immense suffering, images of destruction and hardship back home have been difficult to cope with.
“Seeing the news and the images that we see every day, actually, it’s a big heartbreak because these are the families of our friends, and the families of the people who we know, and it’s our people,” Mohammed Rashid, a midfielder for the Palestinian team, told Al Jazeera.
“So for us, it’s a heartbreak, but I think this gives us motivation for this Asian Cup because it’s the biggest stage in the continent.”
