Palestinian Football Association to Resume Leagues in September After Three-Year War Suspension
The Palestinian Football Association has confirmed that professional club football will restart on September 4, 2026, ending a nearly three-year hiatus caused by the war in Gaza. The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) has announced the return of the sport, with more than 200 clubs set to compete across the West Bank, Gaza, and Lebanon.
The Palestinian Football Association has confirmed that professional club football will restart on September 4, 2026, ending a suspension of nearly three years triggered by the outbreak of war in Gaza. The decision marks a significant shift for Palestinian sports governance, which has been paralysed since hostilities began in October 2023.
The inaugural tournament following the hiatus will be designated the “Thousand Martyrs’ Cup,” a title chosen to honour 1,014 Palestinian athletes who the association states were killed during the conflict. According to PFA data, the competition will involve more than 200 clubs, with fixtures scheduled to begin simultaneously in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Gaza, and Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.
The participating clubs are distributed across the three regions, comprising 146 teams from the West Bank, 44 from Gaza, and 36 from Lebanon. Association President Jibril Rajoub stated that the war had created severe operational and financial difficulties for the federation and its member clubs, yet maintained that the organisation retained its national resolve to restore sporting activities.
Rajoub used a news conference in Ramallah to call on FIFA and other international federations to safeguard Palestinian sports rights. He emphasised that the demands were not for special privileges, but for legitimate rights guaranteed under international sporting laws and charters, asserting that players, clubs, and children should be able to compete in freedom and dignity.
The PFA has formally requested that FIFA impose sanctions on Israeli clubs operating in occupied West Bank settlements and suspend Israel’s FIFA membership. Rajoub also directed criticism at FIFA President Gianni Infantino, questioning the global body’s commercial direction and political neutrality following a previously withdrawn plan to open tournaments to private investors. He argued that FIFA must apply its regulations equally without succumbing to political pressures.
