RAMALLAH, Wednesday, December 27, 2023 (WAFA) – The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) called on the International Olympic Committee, the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), international and continental confederations and all relevant bodies to take urgent measures to the gross violations of the Israeli occupation against the Yarmouk Stadium in Gaza, and to subject it to legal accountability.

A statement issued today by PFA after the Israeli occupation forces transformed the Yarmouk Stadium in the Gaza Strip into a detention center, where they round up, abuse, and interrogate civilians, called for the protection of Palestinian sports facilities.

PFA slammed the Israeli measures against the Yarmouk stadium in Gaza as a clear and direct violation of the Olympic Charter and all continental and international laws and conventions.

It further slammed it as part of Israel’s attack against youth, sports, and scout movements in Palestine.

Over a thousand members of the movements were either killed, injured, or reported missing in the Israeli aggression against the Strip, it said, in addition to the tens of thousands who fled their homes and the targeting of sports facilities.

The Yarmouk Stadium is one of the oldest Palestinian stadiums.

PFA said that it has sent urgent letters underscoring what sport in Palestine is facing as a result of the occupation’s practices to the International Olympic Committee and all international, continental and regional sports federations, including the International and Asian Federation, the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation, the Union of Arab Football Associations, and all national federations, as well as to all relevant committees.

The letters also called for the opening of an urgent international investigation into the occupation’s crimes against sports and athletes in Palestine.

T.R.