Following the attack by Hamas militants on 7 October, Israel's eight-month long retaliation has killed over 36,000 people according to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian health ministry. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) says more than 1.7 million Palestinians have been displaced.

Abu Afash told AFP that he had to leave Gaza City for the southern city of Khan Younis early in the war. He then fled further south before returning north in order to escape Israeli military operations. Air strikes have laid waste to sports infrastructure in Gaza with Abu Afash saying stadiums had been "destroyed".

Weeks ago, Abu Afash was seeking out the most basic of equipment - such as a ball, a whistle, and sportswear - to start training sessions. Dozens of boys in the football-mad territory now turn up, shouting and screaming with the glee and frustration synonymous with 'The Beautiful Game'. A lack of footwear necessitates playing barefoot, but the risk of injuries from pieces of glass or other debris  has not been a deterrent.

"Security and safety are non-existent in the Gaza Strip, but for the two hours during which the boys come to train and play football, they forget about their fear, about the bombing and the war," said Abu Afash. "All this has a great impact on their psychological state as well as on their physical state."

Khaled al-Akhras has three sons taking part in training. He said, "Of course we're afraid. The whole Gaza Strip is exposed to danger and there is no safety anywhere. As a people, we have become accustomed to giving, to practising our hobbies, and to keep on living our normal lives, even when shells are falling above our heads."

With schools closed down and only sporadic activities put on by non-government organisations, most children have little to do during the day. Football offers them an outlet and, albeit brief, respite from the war.

A couple of kilometres further south in Rafah, televised football has also proved to be an escape from the daily horrors of conflict. In late June, dozens of young men flocked to a cafe to watch El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid. One of the crowd, Watan Ahmed - wearing a Juventus shirt - told AFP, "Look at these people, they are all exhausted, they all lost a member of their family or a relative... but we want to be happy, and the simple things in life make us happy."