BANGKOK: The Palestinian football association has called for the immediate suspension of Israel from FIFA, football’s world governing body, local media reported on Friday. The demand was made by Palestine Football Association head Jibril Rajoub during a meeting with FIFA president Gianni Infantino in Bangkok. As per media reports, Jibril Rajoub told the FIFA chief that now the ball in your court.
The recent development takes place as thousands of Palestinians in northern Gaza are cut off from food and water following a week-long Israeli incursion that has led to heavy casualties in the region. Meanwhile, South Africa has urged the UN’s top court to order a pause to Israel’s offensive on Rafah, adding attacks on the southern Gaza city “must be stopped”. South Africa’s envoy to the Netherlands, Vusimuzi Madonsela, told the ICJ: “Seven months ago, South Africa could not have imagined that the Gaza Strip would be largely wiped off the map.”
Arab media reported that around 600,000 people have fled Israeli strikes in Rafah in the past week and another 100,000 in northern Gaza. Gaza Health Ministry said that around 35,272 people mostly women and children have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7. It further said that more than 79,205 people injured in Israeli brutal attacks on Gaza.
