Palestine Stadium

Palestine Stadium
ملعب فلسطين
Full namePalestine International Stadium
LocationAl-Rimal, Gaza City
Gaza Strip, Palestine
OwnerPalestinian Authority
Capacity10,000
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Opened1967 (1967)
Renovated1999
Demolished1 April 2006 (destroyed)
Rebuilt2021
Tenants
Palestine national football team

Palestine Stadium (Arabic: ملعب فلسطين) is located in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, Palestine. It is the national stadium and the home of Palestine national football team. The stadium's capacity is around 10,000.

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. It was again bombed on November 19, 2012, by the Israeli Defence Force as part of Operation Pillar of Cloud. Israel said that the latest bombing was due to its use by Hamas militants to launch rockets targeting Israel. The stadium and a nearby indoor sports hall suffered major damage and resulted in football players from around the globe releasing a signed petition.

As of 2019, the stadium had been repaired by FIFA and has hosted several events, both in the indoor sports halls and the outdoor field.

During the Gaza war the stadium would again be targeted by Israeli airstrikes 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 new home venue. Per media reports, the location has been converted into an Israeli Defence Forces detention camp, with video depicting detainees, including children, shared by Israeli sources via social media.