Ramallah, MINA – The Palestine Football Association (PFA) says FIFA has failed to apply its own rules against Israel, accusing the governing body of years of inaction despite what it described as the devastation of Palestinian football, Anadolu Agency reports.
In a statement Monday, the PFA said more than 1,013 players, coaches, referees, officials and members of the Palestinian football community have been killed during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, while stadiums, training facilities and football infrastructure have been destroyed.
The association emphasized that the toll on Palestinian football has been catastrophic, with the sport effectively paralyzed across the Gaza Strip.
The PFA also criticized FIFA for failing to act against Israeli settlement clubs in the occupied Palestinian territory, saying complaints it has raised for more than 15 years remain unresolved. It noted that Israeli teams based in illegal settlements continue to participate in FIFA-sanctioned competitions without any action taken against them.
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“Silence, when a genocide is being committed live, amounts to complicity,” it said, adding that Palestinian football “can no longer afford promises in place of action.” The association called on FIFA to take immediate and concrete measures to uphold its own statutes and principles, which prohibit discrimination and political interference in the sport.
FIFA did not immediately comment on the statement. The PFA’s accusations come amid ongoing international scrutiny of Israel’s actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, with growing calls for sports bodies to take a stand against violations of international law and humanitarian norms.
The Israeli army has continued its daily attacks in Gaza despite a ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025, killing at least 1,250 Palestinians and injuring 4,110 others.
The ceasefire agreement was reached after two years of genocide launched by Israel on October 8, 2023, which has caused widespread destruction affecting 90% of civilian infrastructure, with reconstruction costs estimated by the UN at around $70 billion.[]
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