Hawzah News Agency- The complaint focuses on the decision by both governing bodies to allow Israeli football clubs based in illegal West Bank settlements to participate in official competitions, despite repeated warnings from UN experts and human-rights organizations. These settlements, built on occupied Palestinian territory, are widely recognized under international law and the Geneva Conventions as unlawful.
According to figures from the Gaza Government Media Office, 894 members of the sporting community, namely players, referees, coaches, and club officials, have been killed, including more than 400 footballers.
Over the past two years, 292 sports facilities have been destroyed or severely damaged, from stadiums and youth clubs to training halls and community fields. Academic analyses have similarly documented the systematic targeting of civilian infrastructure, including sports complexes, schools, and health centers, during Israeli military campaigns.
Against this backdrop, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) argues that global football authorities have failed to uphold their own rules. The PFA’s chief legal advisor, Kat Vilarev, told Turkey’s Anadolu Agency that both Infantino and Ceferin “chose to ignore” well-documented human-rights violations committed by Israel.
“Given the complicity of Israeli sports institutions in the Gaza genocide, FIFA and UEFA are legally bound to act'', she said. “Their statutes, human rights policies, and disciplinary codes require them to align with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights''.
Vilarev further explained that many Israeli athletes are active-duty soldiers who have openly called for Gaza’s destruction, and that some clubs “openly back occupation forces and even hold matches on occupied Palestinian land. That directly aids illegal settlements and the occupation'', she noted.
Source: Al Mayadeen
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