WASHINGTON (AP) — You’ve likely heard it since childhood: Don’t scratch that bug bite or rash, you’ll make it worse. But why would something that feels so good be bad?

A lot of things can cause itchiness, sometimes serious diseases. Whatever the cause, doctors have long warned that scratching too much can damage the skin. Now researchers better understand why even a mildly annoying itch could put you on an itch-and-scratch cycle if you give in.

How did they find out? In part by putting tiny “cones of shame” onto mice to uncover what happens on a cellular level when an itch gets scratched — or left alone.

They also gained insight into why a good scratch at least at first brings a sigh of relief. After all, not just people and other mammals scratch, even fish do. The commonality suggests there must be some evolutionary reason and the mouse experiment hints at a little germ protection — but still not a reason to scratch.

Expect a more swollen, itchier spot if you can’t ignore that bug bite

Dr. Daniel Kaplan, a University of Pittsburgh dermatologist whose lab studies immune reactions in skin, was exploring a run-of-the-mill type of itch called allergic contact dermatitis, caused by irritants such as poison ivy or nickel in jewelry.

Kaplan’s research team put a rash-inducing irritant on the ears of mice. Normal mice scratched and inflammatory immune cells rushed to the site, increasing swelling. The rash was much milder in mice bred with defective itch-sensing nerve cells. But was the difference really the scratching?

Normal mice put into collars like those veterinary “cones of shame” so they itched but couldn’t scratch gave the answer: They, too, had much less swelling and fewer inflammatory cells.

Kaplan said that evidence matches people’s everyday experiences that scratching really can make things worse.

Ignore a mosquito bite and the itch is “gone in five or 10 minutes for most people,” he said. “But if you start scratching it, it’s your friend for a week,” getting itchier and more inflamed.

The immune system’s first responders can help — and hurt

To understand what was happening in the skin, Kaplan’s team took a deeper look at mast cells, among the immune system’s first responders. When called into action, they release compounds that can help fight germs or toxins — or, through a compound called histamine, trigger itchy allergic reactions.

Scientists have long known that allergens can activate mast cells. But other signals can summon mast cells, too, including pain. And when we scratch, “we tend to scratch until it starts to hurt,” Kaplan noted.

Pain-sensing nerve cells release a chemical messenger called substance P. In findings published last year, Kaplan’s team reported that substance P can activate mast cells through a different molecular pathway than allergens do — a double whammy that explains why scratching further inflames itchy rashes or bites.

Then why does a little scratching feel good?

If we experience pain like touching a hot stove, we’ll learn not to do that again. Yet relief from a good scratch, in evolutionary terms, is positive feedback. Why?

One long-held theory is that it may help creatures slough off parasites like fleas or mites. But Kaplan also was intrigued by other labs’ findings that mast cells could fend off a common type of skin bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus. So his team infected mice and then repeated the cone-of-shame itch experiment. Sure enough, those that scratched had lower levels of that germ on their ears, maybe because of the extra inflammation or some other mast cell-related compound.

But that’s not enough of an upside to change the health advice.

“Ultimately, scratching is deleterious,” Kaplan stressed. “You should avoid scratching,” he said, although acknowledging that it’s “easier said than done.”

Here’s how to handle a minor itch

What fights an itch depends on its cause and there’s a need for better treatments. For now, antihistamines and certain other drugs for hives can tamp down some itchiness triggered by mast cells. Drug companies are experimenting with other approaches called MRGPRX2 blockers that target the pathway Kaplan’s team linked to scratching. Kaplan hopes better understanding of that pathway eventually could help skin diseases such as chronic eczema.

For the summer itchiness of bug bites, poison ivy and other types of contact dermatitis, dermatologists recommend anti-itch balms such as hydrocortisone cream, calamine lotion or oatmeal baths.

Another trick from Kaplan: Menthol-containing creams can temporarily fool the skin into sensing cold instead of itch, just long enough that “if you don’t scratch, then you break that itch-scratch cycle,” he said. “It’s like a cheat code.”

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Swimmers looking to cool off in the heatwave are having police called on them for aggravating wildlife at Hampstead Heath.

More than a dozen swimmers were found on Friday in the nature pond, cooling off among the swans.

They had seemingly ignored the barbed wire and glaring signage erected by the City of London Corporation.

Hampstead Heath Constabulary and ParkGuard battled to bring them back to the land, but many Londoners are desperate to cool off as the city’s lack of free blue spaces mean many resort to breaking the rules.

Before Covid-19, the Hampstead Heath ponds used to be free with no booking required.

Lidos have also become oversubscribed, leaving little option for people desperate to escape the heat.

And those in poorer areas suffer the most in heatwaves, as their access to green and blue space is limited.

On Collingwood Estate in Sutton, south London, residents say they are ‘cooking’ and suffering heat exhaustion with temperatures reaching 30C by 4am, they told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The Mayor of London announced he will improve access to these spaces in his ‘Heat Ready London’ plan.

Sir Sadiq told Metro: ‘It is not just an issue of the environment, but of social justice. In the 2022 heatwave, we saw 400 premature deaths, 4,000 going to A&E, extreme challenges to our public transport and big pressure of the fire service.’

But it is not just during the heatwave. Over New Years, watching fireworks at iconic spots became ticketed and commercialised.

It was only 12 years ago in 2014 when London’s New Year’s Eve firework display became ticketed for the first time.

And popular free viewing spots such have started to be closed off to the public.

Primrose Hill, Parliament Hill, St James Park, Greenwich park and Vauxhall Bridge all close before the main event begins.

The City of London Corporation told The Standard: ‘As well as our own Constabulary, we’ve put additional security and patrols in place across the Heath, particularly around the Lido and Model Boating Pond.

‘Entering any other water body is extremely dangerous and risks both lives and wildlife.

‘We want all visitors to enjoy their time on the Heath, and we’re asking everyone to behave responsibly, and respect the space and those who care for it.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE: Why do heatwaves ‘hit different’ in the UK?

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MORE: Readers discuss the UK’s continued heatwave

The three-time Wimbledon champion has opened up on his time in jail

Tennis legend Boris Becker has opened up on his time in prison, admitting that he “literally lost everything” and “95 per cent” of his former inner circle are now “gone”.

In 2022, the six-time Grand Slam champion was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail for hiding £2.5 million worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts, having been declared bankrupt five years earlier. He was released from prison after serving eight months of his sentence and was deported from the UK following his release.

Under the terms of his deportation order, he is currently barred from entering the UK but has revealed he is in negotiations with the Home Office to have the ban overturned.

While a long-time pundit on the BBC’s coverage of Wimbledon – a tournament where he won the men’s singles title on three occasions – the 58-year-old was left out of the broadcaster’s punditry line-up last year while banned.

Having also decided not to return to his homeland of Germany following his deportation, Becker has now settled in Italy, living in Milan with his third wife, Lilian, and their seven-month-old daughter, Zoe, while returning to punditry work for the likes of Sky Italia.

In a new interview with the Telegraph, he has opened up on his eight months in prison and the impact that his time inside has had on his life following his release.

“When you are incarcerated, you literally lose everything,” he said. “All that is left is your personality, your character. So you have to dig down inside to ask, ‘OK, who am I? Is this going to kill me, or is this going to make me stronger?’

“Each month, it gets a little bit better, you get closer to yourself. You think, ‘What went wrong for me to end up in Wandsworth?’ You have to be convinced you will survive. And once you do, the question is ‘What do I do when I get out?’

“That’s why the comeback happened so quickly, because I was already preparing while inside. I wasn’t whining, I wasn’t making other people responsible for my mistakes. I said, ‘OK, I f****d up’.

“With the help of my wife and a very small group of people, I started to select who was with me, who was not with me. What would be my first move, my third move? It becomes like a really long, good chess game.”

While he has been supported by Lilian and close confidants, including Novak Djokovic, Becker admits that “90 per cent of [his] former circle is gone”.

“Probably even 95 per cent,” he added. “That doesn’t mean I don’t say hello – I see their numbers and I write them a friendly ‘No’.

“I find [people] look at me and shake their head, saying, ‘We can’t believe you’re back. How did you do it?’ And then I think to myself, ‘How should I take this? Are you happy for me or not?’ It’s the response I see the most.

“Both privately and professionally, people can’t believe that I’m back in life, back in business, back in freedom.”

Becker has now been absent from four successive Wimbledon championships and admits that SW19 is what he misses most while banned from the UK, describing it as his “birthplace”.

“I don’t think I miss London, but I miss Wimbledon,” he explained. “It’s my birthplace, in a sense.

“I feel so close to the club, to the courts. I have a story on every court, in every corner, in the locker room, in the car park. I probably know Wimbledon better than anyone else alive.”

Two major storm systems pounded Japan on Saturday, causing landslides and floods and leaving one dead and several injured, media and officials said.

The storms, Mekkhala and Higos, have dumped heavy rain and damaged roads as Japan experiences its annual rainy season.

A man in his 70s died and three others were injured after a house collapsed in a landslide in Yamaguchi Prefecture on Friday, Japan’s Kyodo News Agency reported.

Television footage from Kyoto showed the Kamo River swollen with churning, muddy water. A flooding alert was issued in parts of Kyoto, Osaka and other areas in western Japan.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said more than 30 homes were flooded in Nara and Hiroshima on Friday. Heavy rain also disrupted some train operations and flights in the area.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran launched a drone assault targeting Bahrain while a ship in the Strait of Hormuz separately came under attack Saturday, likely Tehran’s response to overnight airstrikes by the United States.

The attacks across the Persian Gulf show the danger of the Iran war again spinning out of control, even after Iran and the U.S. reached an interim deal to try and agree on a final accord to end the conflict.

The U.S. had launched its airstrikes in response to an Iranian drone attack on a ship trying to get out of the strait on Thursday, continuing a string of attacks that have shaken the uneasy ceasefire in the war.

Meanwhile, a multinational maritime body overseen by the U.S. Navy said Saturday that it would expand a route near Oman in the strait to allow for both inbound and outbound traffic — likely setting up a new flashpoint with Tehran.

Bahrain condemns Iran’s drone attack

That Iran targeted Bahrain likely was not coincidental. The kingdom has been one of the strongest critics of Iran and is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet. It just hosted U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s foreign ministers, which ended with a call for an end to Iran’s attacks and the strait to be completely open.

A statement from Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry said a “number of Iranian drones” targeted the country. It called the attack “a flagrant threat to the security of citizens and residents.”

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard earlier on Saturday issued a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency saying it had targeted several locations “of the U.S. terrorist army in the region.”

It did not name what areas were targeted.

The U.S. military’s Central Command said the military struck Iranian missile and drone locations and coastal radar sites in the overnight strikes.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who has led the American negotiations with Iran, said on social media Friday night that Iran should “pick up the phone” if there are disagreements about the ceasefire agreement.

“But violence will be met with violence,” Vance said.

The U.S. and Iran are still negotiating terms of the deal, including issues such as getting ships through the key strait and addressing the future of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Under the interim deal, the two sides have 60 days to work out the details.

As summer is officially here, many will be cooling down by enjoying a sweet ice cream, and one shopper now claims to have found the “cheapest” one in an unlikely place

As most parts of the UK have recently been through a record-breaking heatwave which saw record temperatures of up to 37.1C in certain areas, it’s no surprise that many will have been enjoying an ice cream or two to help cool themselves down.

Whether you’re an ice lolly devotee or prefer to dig straight into the tub, there’s no shortage of refreshing goodies to help you keep cool. However, many will have noticed that ice cream, like most other goods, has increased in price, as it can be difficult to find a 99 that actually costs 99p in modern times – albeit not impossible.

But now, one user claims to have found “the cheapest” ice cream in all of Britain, and it’s not from a supermarket or an ice cream van, but at a store you might not have expected.

Taking to Facebook, the account “Very British Problems” went on to share their bargain find for their 1.3 million followers to see.

“It’s sunny so I’ve come for surely the cheapest 99 in Britain. Such a cheap 99 that it’s a 95!” they wrote on the post, which included a photo of the advertised ice cream in question, confirming that the price was just 95p from Swedish furniture store Ikea.

“I’ll probably not feel the benefit of the savings once I’ve spent £400 on cupboards,” they added in the comment section.

Ikea’s soft serve ice cream is described on their website as a “traditional soft ice based on milk and cream” with a classic vanilla flavour.

However, people were quick to point out one alleged “mistake” with the Facebook post, which was that it couldn’t actually be called a 99 because it didn’t come with the classic Cadbury Flake.

“Not a 99 without a flake though!” one person wrote. Another user explained: “Without a Flake it’s just a Mr Whippy. You need that stick of crumbly chocolate goodness to make it a “99”.

Someone else said: “It’s 95p because there’s no Flake. The Flake would take it up to the average UK price of £6.50.”

What is a 99 ice cream?

In British culture, a 99 is a popular ice cream cone (usually vanilla soft-serve) that contains a Cadbury Flake bar that’s been inserted into the ice cream.

Created at the Cadbury’s factory in Birmingham, England, the Flake was originally designed to be a cuboid and to fit into a wafer. By 1930, Cadbury’s was selling half-length Flake “99s” specifically for serving in ice cream cones. These were marketed under the name 99 Flake and sold loose in boxes rather than individually wrapped like the traditional Flake.

The early “99 Flake” took the form of an ice cream sandwich. It consisted of a Flake bar inserted between two servings of ice cream, then placed between two wafer biscuits.

However, the origin of the “99” ice cream remains a mystery. Some believe the name traces back to 1922, when a man called Stefano Arcari opened up an ice cream shop in Scotland at 99 Portobello High Street.

He would apparently break a Flake in half and then place it in the ice cream to serve to his customers, taking inspiration from the shop’s address for the ice cream’s name.

But others speculate that the “99” Flake was so-called to honour the i Ragazzi del 99, “the Boys of ‘99”. They were a group of soldiers born in 1899 and so the last to enlist in the First World War.

Some also believe it was called a 99 because it used to cost 99p, which may have been true in the 90s or early 2000s, but was far from the truth when they first originated in the early 1900s.

“No chance to saying goodbye, no transition parents evening, no closure.”

Parents and schoolgirls have been left devastated after private school Alderley Edge School for Girls closed down for good weeks earlier than initially announced.

Governors claimed the school is now “unsafe” for staff and pupils in an email sent out to all parents on Friday (June 26), blaming parent protests for the closure.

The fee-paying school outlined plans to close due to financial pressures earlier this year, saying the school would close at the end of the academic year on July 7.

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But the early closure announcement on Friday, after the school was already shut for the day, meant schoolgirls had no chance to say their final goodbyes to teachers and friends, leaving families in disbelief.

The school and its played fields, set in one of Cheshire’s most affluent areas, was put up for sale earlier this month with local estate agents Savills, despite a campaign by parents to try to save the school. Parents are now left with no school provision for their children for the final two weeks of term, and for working parents it means a desperate scrabble for childcare from Monday onwards.

The email sent out by the school, seen by the Manchester Evening News, states the sudden closure is “for health and safety reasons” as the school claimed that ongoing protests by parents means they “can no longer guarantee the safety of staff, pupils and parents on site”. They said the decision was taken after risk assessments reviews had taken place.

The letter from the school’s governors said: “We recognise the strength of feeling within the parent community and the distress caused by the proposed closure of the school. Peaceful and respectful expression of concern is entirely understood; however, since yesterday there have been incidents involving a small number of parents on or near the school site, on social media, and direct communications to staff which have caused serious concern for the welfare of pupils and staff.

“No member of staff, pupil, parent or governor should be placed in a position where they feel unsafe to attend school or are subjected to inappropriate comments on social media and/or receive unwanted communication by email or in person. We have requested on a number of occasions for this behaviour to stop, but sadly it hasn’t.

“As the Governing Board, our priority must be the health and safety of our staff, pupils, and parents. With great sadness, we must therefore inform you that the school site will be closed to pupils and parents from 17:45 today, and will not reopen.”

It added: “We recognise the significance of such a decision, and we are personally devastated that it has come to this.This decision has not been taken lightly, and it is certainly not a reflection on our staff, pupils nor most parents and carers, who have continued to engage respectfully in exceptionally difficult circumstances. Unfortunately, we no longer feel we can guarantee the safety of staff, pupils and parents on site which has made this decision necessary”.

The school offers places for 400 girls aged from 2 – 18, with fees of £19,641 a year. When it first announced plans to close, the school cited the Government’s introduction of VAT on private school fees, falling numbers and a slowing birth rate in the area as reasons for it “no longer considered financially sustainable”.

On Friday night many parents were attending a meeting with Tatton MP Esther McVey to discuss trying to save the school – only for them to discover minutes before it started that all hope was lost. Parents were seen in tears at the meeting as emails began to filter through from the school about the closure.

Parent Gary Chaplin was part of the Parent Rescue Group campaign led by eight parents, who had secured a potential £4m pound of funding to try and save the school. But their proposals were pushed back as being non-viable as a business plan.

Gary, 54, from Wilmslow, said: “Friday’s actions just defy belief. I have a 17 year old, who, along with hundreds of other girls from age three to 18, has just had her school life abruptly ended. No chance to saying goodbye, no transition parents evening, no closure.”

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He was at the meeting at a local church on Friday night as the news began to filter through of the closure, while his wife Lisa was at home breaking the news to daughter Ava who was left in tears. He said: “You could see people at the meeting as the email dropped one by one reading it in disbelief. There was shock and real upset.

“Parents were dreading waking up this morning to tell their young children that their school is now closed – you could see the upset on faces.

“There was supposed to be a festival at the school on Wednesday, now one of the parents is going to try and do it on their field to say farewell – because the sudden closure means missing the ability to say goodbye to their friends.

“Parents at the meeting were saying ‘how can I get a full week of childcare as of 8am on Monday morning?’ It’s an impossible task.”

Earlier this month the 100,000 sq ft school buildings and playing fields were put up for sale with estate agent Savills, with final bids requested by July 8. The school was described in the property pack as a ‘prime development opportunity… in one of Cheshire’s most desirable and affluent locations’. The listing added: “This varied building stock and layout present strong potential for redevelopment, including conversion and reconfiguration of existing structures, alongside new-build opportunities and phased delivery.”

The school sits in a prime spot right on the main road through Alderley Edge – known as one of the richest villages in the UK, and famously home to football stars and millionaires.

On Thursday morning there was a silent protest opposite the school, with families holding banners saying “Save our School”. We have asked Alderley Edge School Girls for further comment on the issues raised in their letter, and to respond to the concerns of parents, and await a reply.

The letter further added that “all school events have now been cancelled” including a planned festival for leavers and awards evenings – although two planned and paid-for school trips, to Greece and a Duke of Edinburgh expedition, will go ahead. They say that more information regarding the return of pupil property will be communicated to pupils and parents “early next week”.

They have asked that pupils and parents do not visit the school in the meantime “unless by appointment only”. They also add that separate communication will be provided next week regarding any queries relating to parent fees and return of deposits.”

It ended by saying: “This is not the outcome any of us would have wanted, however our priority must be the safety and wellbeing of our staff and pupils. We know this has been an extremely challenging time for everyone – above all else, we wish our pupils every success and happiness as they continue their educational journey.”

Dad Gary says: “This decision means we’ve all missed out on parents evening and things like the leaver’s assembly, awards evenings, my daughter was practicing for a valediction piece while other students were preparing musical performances. Why would they do this? To rob them of those moments?”

Richard Greenwood was found guilty after a trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

A teacher at an Edinburgh private school who restrained a child’s wrists and ankles with cable ties has been given an absolute discharge by a sheriff.

Richard Greenwood, also known as Robin, was found guilty of one count of assault against a boy on Friday, June 26, after a trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

The 46-year-old was found not guilty of a separate assault charge and given an absolute discharge in respect of the guilty verdict, which means it will not result in a sentence or merit a formal criminal record, reports Edinburgh Live.

Greenwood, lead teacher of chemistry at Merchiston Castle School, where boarding fees are nearly £17k per term, told the court he was still employed in his role and that his employers are aware of the case after he told them about the charge at the end of 2024.

The incident on August 23, 2023, at an address in Edinburgh, did not relate to any pupils at the school, or take place on the school’s grounds.

The court heard how the victim, now aged nine, was tied by his wrists and ankles with cable ties, which Greenwood said was part of a ‘cops and robbers’ game.

During evidence he told the court the cable ties were used instead of for toy handcuffs which had previously been left on a cabinet downstairs. The child, who was six at the time, was restrained with cable ties around his hands and ankles.

Greenwood told the court the incident was part of a game and distraction technique to get the child to calm down after he ran out onto the road and also tried to climb out of a window.

He told the court: “I recall him being distressed on the evening. He opened the front door and ran onto the road towards the bus stop. I ran after him and returned to the house. I feared for his safety.

“He then escaped out the back of the house and onto the street. I locked the front door and put the key on top of a cabinet. He then tried to get the key from the top of the cabinet and tried to climb out the bathroom window. I was pretty calm and not shouting, but I remember saying to him ‘you’re going to kill yourself’.”

Greenwood then tried distracting the child with the TV, but then turned to play-wrestling which he said left the child “giggling.” Greenwood then used cable ties, as a pair of child handcuffs were missing from the cabinet, and told the boy “you’re under arrest” to which he claimed the boy held out his hands.

He was then restrained with the cable ties around his wrists and then his ankles – describing the child as a “wiggling like a worm.” However, Greenwood admitted he then realised the “connotations” surrounding the use of cable ties in the game and freed the boy by cutting him loose with scissors.

He said: “It was just a game. He was in cable ties for no more than two minutes until I realised the connotations of the game and took them off immediately. I agree it doesn’t sound good and it was a mistake but I never meant any harm.

Greenwood added: “Looking back on the cable tie incident I feel really stupid and naive,” when questioned by the fiscal depute if there was any malice involved, to which he replied: “absolutely not.”

Before delivering a guilty verdict to an amended charge, Sheriff McCormack added: “It was a brief episode but a child cannot consent. This conduct of tying up a child was an assault, albeit a brief one with no lasting effect.

He acknowledged the impact a conviction on Greenwood’s record would have on his job and income and granted him an absolute discharge.

A Merchiston Castle School spokesperson said: “Merchiston Castle School notes today’s court verdict. The case did not involve any pupils or any allegation connected to the school. The matter related entirely to circumstances outside any professional setting.

“When the school was made aware of the charges, it followed its safeguarding procedures and sought appropriate specialist advice. Decisions regarding Mr Greenwood’s employment were made throughout in line with the school’s safeguarding responsibilities, legal obligations and the advice received.

“As this concerns an individual member of staff’s employment, it would not be appropriate to comment further while employment processes are ongoing.”

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As millions across the world celebrate the football World Cup, one region remains cut off from the festivities.

With ongoing military attacks, intermittent access to electricity and infrastructure that has been all but devastated by a brutal war, Palestinian football fans in Gaza try to watch the ongoing tournament with an air of fear and sobriety.

The situation is especially severe for those with disabilities.

Haitham Al-Saqqa, a 38-year-old footballer and humanitarian worker with Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAp), told The Independent of the life-changing impact that the war has had on his life and his ability to enjoy his passion of football.

Having set up Palestine’s first national football team for people of short stature, he searched across Gaza for players and made his dream of becoming a footballer a reality.

At three foot seven inches, he identifies as a person of short stature (of which there around 400 conditions) but he is unable to name his specific condition as there are no genetic tests of the kind that could help in Gaza.

But when the war broke out in October 2023, his dreams of travelling abroad for tournaments was shattered. Amid the devastation the group were unable to travel to Morocco for a regional tournament and several members were killed in Israeli strikes.

Two of his teammates from the national team, Ahmed Awad and Salah Shaalan were killed along with their entire families in northern Gaza during the war. There were others too including Dr Adnan Al-Bursh, an orthopaedic surgeon and member of the Palestinian Football Association, who was killed during the war.

Haitham himself witnessed people killed as he tried to watch a Champions League match in November 2023. The old football stadium they played in is now a displacement shelter.

“Their loss affected me profoundly,” he said. “They were friends, teammates, and partners in a dream we had spent time building together.”

Since the deaths of his friends and teammates Ahmed and Salah, he has tried to bring the old team together, but he says people are too occupied with the struggle to survive, which is especially hard for those with disabilities.

“My home is not far from the yellow line, it’s less than one kilometre,” he explains about the deadly zone that has led to the deaths of several Palestinians. “This makes us afraid to walk in the street, especially at night after 9pm when the matches are starting. I’m afraid to go to the cafe or restaurant to watch the games with my friends. If I do decide to watch one, the electricity regularly cuts out.”

Haitham, a Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Al Ahly Egypt fan, has been able to watch 20 games using a mixture of methods. But the father-of-three refuses to allow his son to join him. Since the ceasefire, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed, creating a climate of terror among civilians who fear they could be next. Last week, one of Haitham’s neighbours was also killed.

As the UN concluded this week that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza by deliberately and “intentionally” killing Palestinian children, Haitham fears his four-year-old son may not be spared. Israel denies claims of genocide and insists its military operates within the bounds of international law.

“My son, Nahedh begs me: ‘Please I want to go with you, I want to watch a match.’ But I can’t do that. I tell him we can stay home and watch the summary on YouTube if the electricity keeps up,” he explains. “Because, to be honest, I’m afraid to lose him on the outside. We may still get killed in our home, but I would feel worse if they went out and it happened.”

The fears are real, with footage shared in The Guardian showing the moment an Israeli strike hit a children’s school in the middle of a football match. And it is not the first time. In 2015, nine Palestinians watching a World Cup match in a cafe were killed in Israeli strikes.

With up to 92 per cent of all infrastructure destroyed in Gaza, Haitham says children regularly play in the rubble, painting goal posts on to wreckage, and have been injured as a result.

Before the war, he describes feelings of festivities around the World Cup with streets decorated with flags and cafes packed with people.

Occasionally, when people are able to break through the tight Israeli control that restricts free movement in and out of Gaza, Haitham says that the news of football and the outside world are much welcomed.

”During the war there were small moments of humanity that reminded us of our connection to the outside world,” he says. “Doctors and colleagues who came to Gaza spoke with us not only about war and suffering, but also about football and life.

“One moment I will never forget was when a friend brought me a Liverpool shirt signed by Salah. It may seem like a small gesture, but it meant a great deal to me. It reminded me that our friends from outside Gaza still saw us as human beings with things to love and cheer about, not just as victims of war.”

Haitham says his dream is very simple: “My hope is to go outside in any stadium and to watch and to play football.”

He says he wants his family, which includes his wife Besan, four-year-old twins including a son and daughter, and older eight-year-old daughter, his parents and siblings, to be safe. He hopes his children can get suitable healthcare and a proper education.

“Football is not just a game to me. It is part of who I am. It has always been a source of hope, belonging and joy,” he says. “I want to enjoy the World Cup like the rest of the world. It is time to show Israel the red card.”

Rohan Talbot, MAP’s director of advocacy and campaigns where Haitham works, said: “Our colleagues, such as Haitham, shouldn’t have to deliver humanitarian aid under bombardment. What we’re seeing in Gaza right now is a ‘ceasefire’ in name only,”

“Palestinians continue to be killed in Israeli military attacks, and aid restrictions mean hospitals are still dangerously short of supplies and power. The UK government cannot claim to support a ceasefire while failing to take any meaningful action to enforce it.”