Palestine Football Association says FIFA failed to enforce rules against Israel

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.

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 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.

“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.”

FIFA did not immediately comment on the statement.

The Israeli army has continued its daily attacks in Gaza despite a ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 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 Oct. 8, 2023, which has caused widespread destruction affecting 90% of civilian infrastructure, with reconstruction costs estimated by the UN at around $70 billion.