Israeli forces set to demolish pitch used by boundary-breaking Palestinian girls’ team

For International Women’s Day 2026, we take a look at a story of destruction and pain, but also of hope and love through football.

Just over a mile north of the historic centre of Bethlehem in occupied Palestine sits the Aida refugee camp. Here, across less than half a square mile, more than 7,000 Palestinian souls have been stuck since 1950, lodged between two Israeli settlements deemed illegal under international law.

And now, in the camp, the ever-present occupying Israeli forces are threatening to take away a football pitch that has allowed a girls’ football team to break boundaries and change perceptions in their country.

The football pitch is being demolished over “a lack of building permits”, according to Munther Amira, head of the Aida Youth Center, with the Israelis reportedly giving the Palestinians a week to demolish it themselves before entering to carry out the act of destruction.

Girls’ team thrives despite difficult conditions

The girls’ football team was launched by Aida Youth Club and the Udd Sports Union in 2021, and across 5 years it has grown from a few interested individuals to over 40 young female players, with the team even managing to play a few friendly games against local teams such as Beit Sahour, Al-Ubeidiya, and other local clubs.

After years of weekly training sessions with an ever-growing squad of young girls enamoured by the game, the team wrote themselves into the history books: three players were selected to join the Palestinian national team and even competed in the 2024 West Asian Football Championship for girls in Saudi Arabia.

Muhannad Abu Srour, the sports programme coordinator at the centre and Udd Union, spoke to Palestine News Network in 2025 about the idea behind the camp and the obstacles facing the team living under illegal occupation.

“The idea was born in 2021 out of a deep belief in the importance of female participation in all sectors, particularly within refugee camps where such opportunities are rare. It was the first time a girls’ football team was established in Aida Camp—perhaps even in any Palestinian refugee camp.”

“These girls have proven they can play and excel in football”

“One of the major challenges at the start was community resistance,” he explained. “Many families were hesitant, given traditional views that football isn’t a sport for girls. But through daily engagement and building trust with families, we broke down those barriers. Today, we have a committed and stable team—and we’re seeing growing support from the community.”

Roweida Al-Azha, one of the team’s coaches, noted how “dedication and performance shattered that stereotype," adding that “these girls have proven they can play and excel in football just like any boy.”

But the pitch is under threat of destruction, and calls have come in condemning Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of taking away the only thing providing numerous young children with a break from their already inhumane existence under occupation.

Italian MEP Mimmo Lucano said: “The facility is used mainly by children and young people from the camp and is one of the few accessible community spaces against a backdrop of severe restrictions on freedom of movement and difficult socio-economic conditions,” adding that “its demolition could have a negative impact on the children’s well-being and the social cohesion of the local community.”

EU Commissioner Dubravka Šuica provided a less than sufficient response, saying emptily that “the EU calls on Israel to halt the demolition and ensure children are not deprived of their right to practice sport and develop in a safe and healthy environment.” If that doesn’t stop them, nothing will.

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