Gaza city: The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) announced on Thursday that it has lodged formal complaints with international and continental football governing bodies in response to Israeli military allegations against 12 Palestinian football figures killed during the conflict in Gaza.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Israeli military recently claimed that these individuals, which included a FIFA-accredited international assistant referee, were members of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group. The PFA has refuted these allegations, emphasizing that they were made posthumously and lacked independently verifiable evidence.
The PFA has submitted its complaints to FIFA, UEFA, and the Asian Football Confederation, condemning the accusations as "an utterly disgraceful act." The association criticized the lack of evidence and legal due process in making such claims against the deceased.
The PFA's statement highlighted the absence of verifiable evidence, noting that the allegations were not reviewed by any independent body. It described the accusations as a "serious violation of the fundamental principles of justice, human dignity, and the integrity of sport."
Highlighting the impact of the ongoing conflict, the PFA reported that 1,013 Palestinian athletes, including 568 from the football community, have been killed since the war began, and 265 sports facilities have been destroyed. The association has called on FIFA to intervene, urged UEFA to uphold the presumption of innocence, and appealed to the Asian Football Confederation for support and protection of Palestinian football.
The PFA expressed its intention to pursue further legal action, including potentially bringing the case before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). It condemned the baseless accusations as an attempt to "rewrite reality and evade responsibility."
Despite the ceasefire that began on October 10, 2025, Israeli attacks in Gaza have persisted, resulting in the deaths of 1,214 Palestinians and injuries to 3,977 others, according to official figures. Palestinian authorities report that since October 8, 2023, the Israeli military offensive has claimed over 73,000 Palestinian lives, injured more than 174,000, and devastated approximately 90% of Gaza's civilian infrastructure.