For the best part of three months, Rami Hamadi and his teammates have trained together, eaten together, played together, and watched the tragedy in Gaza unfold from afar together, too, Al Jazeera reports.

“It’s not a good situation for playing or for living, because of what is happening to our people in Gaza,” says Hamadi, the goalkeeper of the Palestine national football team.

“Our mind is with our people in Palestine because we see every day what’s happening.”

On Sunday, Palestine begins its 2024 Asian Cup campaign in Qatar against Iran. But preparations for the 23-man squad have been overshadowed by the conflict in Gaza.

Read the full story here.

Palestine’s Mahmoud Wadi heads for a goal during the AFC Asian Cup, Palestine v Jordan, Group B match at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, on January 15, 2019 — Reuters
Palestine’s Mahmoud Wadi heads for a goal during the AFC Asian Cup, Palestine v Jordan, Group B match at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, on January 15, 2019 — Reuters

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