Palestinian club football to restart in September after Gaza war stoppage
RAMALLAH, (Palestinian Territories): The Palestinian football association announced on Monday that it would resume activity in September after a nearly three-year pause due to the Gaza war.
The Palestinian football association announced plans to resume club football activities in September, following a nearly three-year hiatus triggered by the ongoing Gaza war. According to association president Jibril Rajoub, the inaugural tournament under the "Thousand Martyrs Cup" name will commence on September 4. This tournament will honor the 1,014 Palestinian athletes killed during the conflict, as recorded by the association.
More than 200 clubs will participate in the tournament, comprising 146 teams from the Israeli-occupied West Bank, 44 from Gaza, and 36 from Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. The matches will begin concurrently in these three regions. Rajoub emphasized that the war created challenging circumstances leading to the suspension of sports activities, but reiterated that the Palestinian spirit remains resilient, placing sport as a symbol of hope and life.
Financial difficulties faced by the association and Palestinian clubs prompted Rajoub to appeal to FIFA and other federations to support Palestinian sports and safeguard the rights of players, clubs, and children to engage in sports with dignity. The association previously criticized FIFA's former president, Gianni Infantino, for a plan involving private investors in tournaments, questioning FIFA's commercial direction and insisting on equal application of regulations without political interference.
Rajoub urged FIFA to impose sanctions on Israeli clubs operating in West Bank settlements and to suspend Israel's FIFA membership due to the country's actions in Gaza. He clarified that Palestine seeks legitimate rights in line with international sporting laws and charts, not privileges.
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