Qais Abu Samra and Sahin Demir
30 July 2026•Update: 30 July 2026
The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) said Thursday that it had filed formal complaints with international and continental football governing bodies over Israeli military allegations against 12 Palestinian football figures killed during the war in Gaza.
Last week, the Israeli military alleged that the 12, including a FIFA-accredited international assistant referee, were members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad group.
The PFA rejected the allegations, saying they were made only after the victims had been killed and were unsupported by independently verifiable evidence.
In a statement, the association said it had submitted complaints to FIFA, UEFA and the Asian Football Confederation.
“Taking people’s lives and then accusing them without any evidence, legal process or opportunity to defend themselves is an utterly disgraceful act,” the statement said.
The association said the allegations were “not based on any verifiable evidence,” had not been presented to any independent body and had not undergone any legal review.
It said the accusations constituted “a serious violation of the fundamental principles of justice, human dignity and the integrity of sport.”
According to the PFA, 1,013 Palestinian athletes, including 568 members of the football community, have been killed since the start of the war, while 265 sports facilities have been destroyed.
The association urged FIFA to intervene, called on UEFA to take a “clear and principled” stance in defense of the presumption of innocence, and appealed to the Asian Football Confederation to support and protect Palestinian football.
It said it reserves the right to pursue further legal action, including referring the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The PFA added that accusing victims without evidence or accountability amounted to “an attempt to rewrite reality and evade responsibility.”
Despite a ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, Israeli attacks have continued in Gaza, killing 1,214 Palestinians and injuring 3,977 others, official figures showed.
According to Palestinian authorities, Israel’s military offensive since Oct. 8, 2023, has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, wounded over 174,000, and destroyed around 90% of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure.
