Throughout 2024, a large number of families in the Beit Lahia area of the northern Gaza Strip were forcibly displaced under fire from the Israeli army. During their displacement, they said they saw dead and wounded on the ground with no one to help them. Many arrived in Gaza City with nowhere to settle and little or no possessions. Several Palestinian women shared portions of their stories of displacement to Unicorn Riot.

Not long after the invasion of Gaza in late 2023, Israeli forces occupied Gaza City’s Yarmouk Stadium, one of the largest and oldest football (soccer) stadiums in Gaza. The occupying forces then converted the arena into a large “interrogation and torture camp” where hundreds of Palestinians were kidnapped, stripped to their underwear, blindfolded and even executed.

A short time later in early January 2024, Israeli forces withdrew and destroyed large portions of the stadium. Yarmouk was among six other major stadiums, 45 sports clubs and 273 sports facilities destroyed by Israel during the war. At least 708 athletes, including 95 children, have been killed by Israel in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, including 369 football players.

A few months later, Palestinians fixed up what they could and converted the remains of Yarmouk Stadium into a shelter for displaced people. Many tents were setup inside the stadium housing thousands of displaced families mainly from Jabalia refugee camp.

Rami Jrosh, a caretaker of the stadium, said that 35 families were housed there to begin with but that by late summer, that number swelled so much that 10 families were sharing one tent. More from Palestine in link below.