Aida camp football pitch saved after global pressure

Описание: "It is a place for life."

A children’s football pitch, in Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem, threatened with demolition by Israeli authorities has become a symbol of resistance and international solidarity.

After Israeli media reported that Israel's demolition order had been frozen, Aida Youth Centre director Munther Amira said the decision followed pressure from FIFA and the global football community, though no official confirmation has yet been issued by either the Israeli army or FIFA.

He said more than 350,000 people worldwide signed a petition to protect the pitch, the first playground the camp has had in over 70 years, stressing that Israeli policies are designed to make Palestinian life "miserable" and push children back onto the streets.

Amid the threat, Bethlehem-based Palestinian street artist Taqi Spateen visited the pitch and responded in his own way, painting a football fixed into the separation wall, appearing to smash through it.

He said he was not a journalist or footballer, but used street art to "speak without words", sending a clear message that the playground would not be destroyed thanks to international solidarity.

Spateen said Palestinians, despite daily suffering under occupation and genocide, continue to seek a dignified life through football, music, dance and art, adding that even if the wall is demolished, the message of the artwork, and the children’s right to joy, will remain.

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