​​​​​​​ISTANBUL

Palestinian footballer Mohammed Fawaz Jundia, who has lost several relatives in Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 2023, said he hopes the peace plan will finally be implemented.

Jundia, who played for the Palestinian Premier League team Ittihad Al-Shujaiya before Israel's attacks began on Oct. 7, 2023, told Anadolu (AA) that he hopes the ceasefire agreement signed in Egypt will be implemented soon so that life can return to normal.

The 23-year-old stated that he played midfield, adding that he had been playing football since he was 7 years old.

"Hopefully, the peace plan in Gaza will be implemented, the war will end, life will return to normal, and sports facilities will reopen. My physical condition has weakened significantly due to the war continuing for two consecutive years. With Israel's influence on the media, it has become impossible for athletes to appear in the media," he said.

Jundia stressed that he lost his father and teammate, Abdullah Abu Al-Ata, in the heavy Israeli bombardment, and his home was destroyed, and he was forced to end his football career.

Before, after Oct. 7

Jundia said Israel bombed all sports and residential facilities, leaving Gaza in ruins and making it impossible for any athlete to continue playing sports.

"Before the war, my daily life consisted of waking up in the morning and going to school. Afterward, I also had time to go to the club for training and matches," he said.

Jundia stated that their lives had drastically deteriorated since Oct. 7, 2023. "We are now living in tents, displaced and without homes."

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 1,057 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank, around 10,300 wounded, and over 20,000 arrested, including 1,600 children, since the Gaza war began two years ago.

Since October 2023, Israel's genocidal war has killed over 68,200 victims and injured more than 170,300 in Gaza.