FIFA delay again review of Palestinian call to suspend Israel

The FIFA Council has delayed making a decision on a Palestinian bid to suspend Israel from international football until October.

World football’s governing body FIFA has again delayed its review on a Palestinian bid to have Israel suspended from the international arena over its war on Gaza.

FIFA said late on Friday it would now consider the Palestine Football Association’s (PFA) proposals against the Israel Football Association (IFA) in October.

The PFA had submitted a proposal to suspend Israel in May, with FIFA ordering an urgent legal evaluation and promising to address it at an extraordinary meeting of its council in July.

FIFA said last month the legal assessment would now be shared with its council by August 31.

The Zurich-based body said it had now moved the assessment back to October.

“FIFA has received the independent legal assessment of the Palestine Football Association’s proposals against Israel,” FIFA said.

“This assessment will be sent to the FIFA Council to review in order that the subject can be discussed at its next meeting which will take place in October.”

FIFA declined to give further details of the assessment, or when in October the meeting would take place.

The Palestinian proposal accuses the IFA of complicity in violations of international law by the Israeli government, discrimination against Arab players, and inclusion in its league of clubs located in Palestinian territory.

The IFA has rejected the allegations.

The PFA has said at least 92 Palestinian players have been killed in the war, football infrastructure has been destroyed, its leagues suspended and its national team required to play World Cup qualifiers abroad.

In its proposal, the PFA wanted FIFA to adopt “appropriate sanctions” against Israeli teams, including the national side and clubs

At least 40,691 people have been killed and 94,060 wounded in since Israel’s war on Gaza began on October 7. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the attacks Palestinian group Hamas led on October 7.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies