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PFA committed to hold Israel accountable for crimes against Palestinian athletes: Spox


By Press TV Website Staff

The systematic targeting of sports facilities in Gaza and the occupied West Bank is not only a blatant attempt to undermine Palestinian football but also a broader effort to destroy a vital space for community development, youth empowerment, and cultural exchange, says the spokesperson of the Palestinian Football Association (PFA).

In an interview with the Press TV website, Dima Said noted that the Palestinian Football Association recently issued a strongly-worded statement condemning the “systematic targeting of sports infrastructure in occupied Palestine and Gaza” by the Israeli regime forces.

The statement, she said, highlighted a series of incidents where Israeli occupation forces “invaded and partially destroyed” stadiums in the occupied West Bank, including Al-Thahereyyah, Sinjil, and Jenin Municipality stadiums.

“These invasions involved not only the destruction of facilities but also the abuse and detention of players, coaches, and staff on the field,” she told the Press TV website.

The situation in the besieged Gaza Strip, he hastened to add, is “even more severe”, with the “complete destruction of several stadiums, some of which have been repurposed as concentration camps where civilians, including women and children, are abused and forcibly detained.”

Nearly 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, most of them children and women. The unofficial death toll is believed to be much higher.

Around 400 of these victims have been prominent athletes, including footballers such as Mohammed Barakat, who played for the Palestinian national football team and prominent Palestinian clubs.

Barakat was killed on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan while preparing for the pre-dawn meal in Khan Yunis city in the southern Gaza Strip.

Another prominent footballer killed by the Israeli regime is Mahmoud Osama al-Jazzar, the goalkeeper of Khadamah Rafah football club, which won the Gaza Premier League last year.

PFA remains committed to holding the Israeli regime responsible for its crimes against Palestinian athletes and the destruction of sports facilities, the spokesperson asserted.

She said the association has gathered "extensive proof" of the destruction of sports infrastructure, the killing of athletes, and the systematic targeting of Palestinian sports by the Israeli regime.

“While the path may be difficult and long, the campaign to hold Israel responsible for its crimes against Palestinian athletes and sports infrastructure will continue. The Palestinian sports community is determined to keep pushing forward, knowing that justice must eventually prevail.”

“The PFA’s statement underscores that these attacks violate international laws and regulations, including those of FIFA and the Olympic Charter, which guarantee the protection of sports facilities and the rights of athletes,” Said stressed in an interview with the Press TV website.

The effects of this are “devastating for the future of Palestinian sports,” she noted.

“As stadiums are torn apart and players face ongoing harassment and violence, the infrastructure needed to nurture football talent and engage youth in sports is being eroded,” Said remarked.

“In a region where football represents a beacon of hope and resistance, this intentional destruction directly threatens the growth and development of the game in Palestine. By attacking these spaces, the Israeli regime is attacking the very spirit of resilience and hope that sports bring to Palestinian communities.”

She further said that the PFA calls for “urgent international action” to hold the Israeli regime accountable and protect what remains of Palestinian sports infrastructure.

“We are urging sports organizations and human rights bodies to intervene and stop these ongoing violations that jeopardize the future of Palestinian football and youth,” he stated.

Stadiums and other sports facilities have also been reduced to rubble in the Gaza Strip amid the genocidal war. The only stadium still standing is Al-Dura Stadium in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, which has become a sanctuary for thousands of displaced Palestinians.

Said noted that the 12-month-long war has had a “catastrophic impact on the sports community” in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank, with athletes, facilities, and sports development all suffering immensely.

“According to our latest reports, over 410 athletes have been killed as a result of the Israeli aggression, and hundreds of others remain missing or detained. This is not just a loss of individual lives but a devastating blow to the future of Palestinian sports as these athletes represented the hope and aspirations of their communities,” she told the Press TV website.

The destruction of sports infrastructure has compounded this tragedy, she stressed, adding that the loss of these facilities has “brought the sports development process in Gaza to a standstill.”

“Stadiums, which serve not only as training grounds but also as symbols of resilience and unity, have been reduced to rubble. Without these spaces, athletes have nowhere to train, youth lack opportunities to engage in sports, and the community loses a vital outlet for coping with the trauma of ongoing violence,” the PFA spokesperson stated.

“Football and other sports have historically provided a sense of normalcy and hope, but with the systematic targeting of these spaces, the future of sports in Gaza remains in jeopardy.”

The ongoing Israeli genocidal war, she noted, has turned the sports community “from one of growth and potential into one struggling for mere survival” and the killing and targeting of athletes and the destruction of key facilities “reflect the wider effort to undermine Palestinian resilience and hope through sports.”

On FIFA’s dilly-dallying in suspending Israel from international football over the regime’s horrendous war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, the former captain of the Palestinian women’s football team said it has left many in the Palestinian sports community “frustrated and disillusioned, particularly as the evidence of Israeli violations has been well-documented.”

“The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) has gathered extensive proof of the destruction of sports infrastructure, the killing of athletes, and the systematic targeting of Palestinian sports, which should be enough to hold Israel accountable under international sports laws and standards,” she told the Press TV website.

“Historically, Israel has enjoyed a level of impunity and has been shielded from accountability in many international arenas, including sports. This lack of accountability is reflected in the delays and indifference seen in the ongoing FIFA process. Since 2014, the PFA has been leading a campaign to hold Israel accountable for its violations in the sports field, but despite clear evidence and repeated calls for action, sanctions have yet to materialize.”


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