Palestinian club football to restart in September after Gaza war suspension

The Palestinian Football Association has announced that it will resume activity in September after a nearly three-year pause due to Israel’s genocidal war on Palestinians in Gaza.

“We announce the resumption of sports activities and the football association’s league beginning September 4,” association President Jibril Rajoub said at a Ramallah news conference on Monday.

Palestinian sports leagues, including professional football, came to a halt after the war began on October 7, 2023.

The association has named the first tournament back the “Thousand Martyrs’ Cup”, to honour the 1,014 Palestinian athletes killed by Israel during the war, according to the association’s data.

More than 200 clubs will compete in the tournament, including 146 from the Israeli-occupied West Bank, 44 from Gaza, and 36 from Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.

The tournament will kick off simultaneously in the three locations.

Rajoub said the war “created difficult conditions for all Palestinians that led to the suspension of our competitions and activities”.

“But we have not lost our Palestinian national will, nor have we lost our belief that sport will remain a symbol of hope and life,” he said.