Fifa Council to consider sanctions call against Israel

SourceBBC

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Fifa will consider possible sanctions against the Israel Football Federation on Thursday following a proposal made by the Palestine Football Association.

In March, the PFA called for a vote at Fifa’s congress in May to suspend Israel because of the war in Gaza.

At the time, the president of world football’s governing body Gianni Infantino said, following a legal assessment, that it was a matter for the Fifa Council to make a decision on.

The council is the main decision-making body of the organisation that governs world football.

Thursday’s Fifa Council meeting has listed a “proposal submitted by the Palestine Football Association at the 74th Fifa congress” on its agenda.

The Palestine FA believes Israel’s federation has committed “violations of Fifa regulations” and wants sanctions against the country’s “national teams and clubs”.

Shino Moshe Zuares, the president of the IFF, has previously said: “We are facing a cynical political and hostile attempt by the Palestinian association to harm Israeli football.”

Israel are playing their home matches in the Nations League in Hungary, while an away game against Belgium last month was also moved to the country because of security concerns.

They are scheduled to host France and play in Italy during the international break in October.

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October by Hamas gunmen, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.

Since the attack, a military campaign in Gaza has killed a total of 41,689 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The Fifa Council will meet amid Israel launching a ground invasion in southern Lebanon against the armed group Hezbollah, while Iran has launched more than 180 missiles towards Israel.