Deir el-Balah, Gaza – When Spain take to the pitch at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium for their Euro 2024 final against England on Sunday, they will be cheered on by millions of fans across the world.
From the capital Madrid in central Spain to Barcelona in the north-east region of Catalonia, La Roja – as the Spanish football team is affectionately known – will have plenty of support in their quest for their fourth European title.
And more than 3,500 km from Spain, football fans in Gaza will be giving their full support to Alvaro Morata and his men.
Residents of the war-torn Gaza Strip will back their Spanish friends against England after the European nation expressed strong support for the Palestinians since the early days of the ongoing Israeli offensive on Gaza.
Omar Ghayyad, a 36-year-old mathematics teacher working for UNRWA (the UN agency for Palestinian refugees), and his brother Mohammed have been displaced three times during Israel’s 10-month war in the territory.
Eight members of their family, including Omar’s two daughters, were killed when their home in the Nusairat refugee camp was razed by Israeli shelling in the first months of the war.
Amid the unspeakable pain of loss and the hardships of continued displacement, the Ghayyad brothers and their friends and loved ones seek respite in football.
The two brothers are ardent supporters of the Real Madrid football club and try to keep up to date with their favourite team’s exploits in the Spanish and European championships from their makeshift tent in Deir el-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip.
Now that Spain are on the verge of success, they have turned their support to La Roja for Euro 2024.
On the eve of the final, football fans told Tel Aviv Tribune they would try to create a fun atmosphere in their tent to find some distraction and thank Spain for its support for Palestine.
“Since the beginning of this genocide, Spain’s solidarity with us has been incredible – whether it’s recognizing the Palestinian state or supporting South Africa in its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ),” Omar said on Friday.
“We can see how passionate Spanish fans are (about Gaza) when they wave the Palestinian flag during their football matches.”
The Real Madrid fan said he was looking forward to seeing his favourite club’s Spanish defender Dani Carvajal lift the trophy on Sunday.
“How can I support the murderers of my family?”
If Spain manages to beat England in Berlin, the joy of Gaza fans will be doubled.
“The UK’s position (during the Gaza war) was shameful in that it promised military support and funding to Israel,” Omar said.
Spain and Palestine have maintained friendly relations in recent years, particularly through cultural and academic exchange programs.
A neighborhood in western Gaza is named after the Catalan capital, Barcelona, after the Spanish government funded its improvement project in 1998.
“Israeli forces have turned the Barcelona neighborhood into a military base and this is an attack on both countries,” Omar said.
For his brother Mohammed, a laboratory technician, Spain has always been his favourite international team.
A replica of former Spain captain Raul Gonzalez’s jersey from the 2006 FIFA World Cup is a prized possession for the Ghayyad family.
Mohammed and his four-year-old daughter, Toqa, have been following the Spanish team since the start of the Euro.
The 40-year-old told Tel Aviv Tribune that he had planned to visit Spain in 2004, but his dream was not realised due to travel restrictions on Palestinians.
“Spain has its own liberation movements, including the Catalan movement in Barcelona, which are similar to ours,” he said.
“Spanish fans love Palestine and their government’s position (on Gaza) has been honourable. That’s why I will support them.”
Mohammed was ruthless towards fellow Euro finalists England.
“In 1917, the British-backed Balfour Declaration (a public commitment by Britain declaring its aim to establish ‘a national home for the Jewish people’ in Palestine) became the root cause of our struggle,” he explained.
He said the country remains complicit in the ongoing genocide.
“How can I support my murderers? I hope Spain crushes them on Sunday.”
Omar and Mohammed are unsure if they will be able to watch the match live due to the horrific conditions in Gaza, but predict Spain will win 3-1 in Berlin.
