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The Palestine Football Association (PFA) has accused FIFA of failing to enforce its own regulations against Israel, saying the global governing body has repeatedly put off action as Palestinian football has suffered widespread losses and destruction in Gaza.
In a statement issued Monday, the PFA said more than 1,013 players, coaches, referees, officials and other members of the Palestinian football community had been killed during Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.
It added that stadiums, training grounds and other football facilities had been destroyed, severely disrupting the sport across the territory.
The PFA also criticized FIFA for failing to address the participation of Israeli settlement clubs based in the occupied Palestinian territory.
According to the association, complaints concerning those clubs have remained unresolved for more than 15 years despite repeated calls for FIFA to apply its statutes and disciplinary rules.
“Silence, when a genocide is being committed live, amounts to complicity,” the PFA said, adding that Palestinian football “can no longer afford promises in place of action.”
FIFA did not immediately respond to the statement.
Israeli military attacks have continued in Gaza despite a ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, killing at least 1,250 Palestinians and injuring 4,110 others since the agreement began.
The ceasefire followed two years of war that started on Oct. 8, 2023. The conflict has caused extensive destruction across Gaza, affecting an estimated 90% of civilian infrastructure, while the United Nations has put reconstruction costs at around $70 billion.
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