The Palestinian national football team has qualified for the knockout rounds of the Asian Cup for the first time in its career on Tuesday, January 23.
The 3-0 victory over Hong Kong was also their first win in the history of the competition. Palestine, having missed the second spot in Group C of Asian Cup 2023, has advanced as one of the four best third-placed teams.
Oday Dabbagh, a forward, scored two goals at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, both goals coming off a header from Zeid Qunbar.
The historic victory comes at a time when Gaza has been suffering from an ongoing war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas since October 7, 2023.
On October 7, Israel launched the war on Gaza following Hamas’ surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying Palestinian entity, in response to Israeli regime’s atrocities against Palestinians.
Since the start of the aggression, Israel has killed more than 25,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children.