DayofPal – A football pitch serving hundreds of Palestinian children in the Aida refugee camp in the occupied West Bank has been temporarily spared from demolition following interventions by FIFA president Gianni Infantino and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.
Israeli authorities had issued a demolition notice for the field, built in 2021 near the separation wall, claiming it was “illegal.” However, international law recognizes Israel’s occupation, not the construction, as illegal.
The pitch, the only recreational space in the camp, hosts over 250 children weekly, including girls who have represented Palestine at youth level.
Diplomatic pressure from FIFA and UEFA helped suspend the demolition. Infantino’s office raised the issue with the Swiss government and the Israel Football Association, while Swiss ambassador Simon Geisbuhler petitioned the Israeli government directly.
Ceferin reportedly held multiple calls with the IFA president in support of the campaign.
Mohammad Abusrour, director of the camp’s youth centre, welcomed the development but remained cautious, noting that official confirmation from the Israeli army is still pending.
“This is the only public space for the children and refugees to play… it offers the possibility of a normal, healthy life,” he said.
The pitch has become a focal point amid broader condemnation of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the occupied territories, and mounting calls for accountability within international football.
UEFA has faced pressure to suspend the Israel Football Association for allowing clubs from illegal settlements to compete, violating both international law and FIFA rules.
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