Palestine FA says it does not endorse Republic of Ireland v Israel game

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Despite having faced calls to boycott the games, the FAI insisted it will fulfil the fixtures as pulling out of the matches would have "a profound impact on the whole of Irish football".

It said the result of not fulfilling the games would be the forfeiture of six points which could lead to relegation to League C in the Nations League and an impact on the team's Uefa and Fifa rankings, highlighting "the converse of these impacts would apply to Israel", increasing their chances of Nations League promotion and Euro 2028 qualification.

In Thursday's statement, the Palestine FA added it had "long-standing principle" of respecting that each association can make its own decisions, but reiterated it does not endorse the game being played and said "our position regarding Israeli football remains unchanged and unequivocal".

"While the PFA respects the right of every association to determine how it navigates its own sporting, legal, and regulatory obligations, such respect should not be misconstrued as endorsement of any particular decision," it added.

In a Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 about 1,200 people were killed and 251 abducted to Gaza.

More than 70,600 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry - with more than 1,000 Palestinians reported killed in the West Bank.

The Palestine FA said it "continues to pursue accountability through Fifa and other international sporting bodies for Israel's persistent violations of Fifa statutes", stating that athletes had been killed in the conflict and sporting infrastructure had also been destroyed, as well as the "devastating impact of Israel's war on all aspects of Palestinian life".

It added: "The PFA rejects any characterisation that could be interpreted as providing political or moral cover for Israel's continued participation in international football while these grave violations persist.

"The PFA would not, and will not, be party to any effort that normalises these realities or contributes to the sportswashing of crimes committed against the Palestinian people."

Israel and the Republic of Ireland are also scheduled to meet at a neutral venue for Israel's home Group B3 match on 27 September.

The Football Association of Ireland has been contacted for comment.

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