JABAR EKSRPES – Palestinian Football Association said that Israeli forces fired tear gas during a match in East Jerusalem.
During the match on Thursday evening, the tear gas was fired by Israeli forces inside Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium in al-Ram, East Jerusalem.
After the firing, several people, including children, were suffering from the gas inhalation and were being treated inside the stadium, about three people already taken to the hospital.
New scenes showing the Israeli forces attack on the final match of the Palestinian official Football Cup near Alram in Occupied East Jerusalem.
Tens of Palestinians were suffocated (incl players) from tear gas. Jibril Rjoub said that he will report this incident to [@FIFAcom] pic.twitter.com/QtBpyHrAxU
— Younis | يونس (@ytirawi) March 30, 2023
Palestinian Football Association (PFA) said that Israeli forces fired the tear gas during halftime break in the match. This attack seemingly unprovoked because there are no issued statement regarding the incident.
The PFA President, Jibril Rajoub, said that they “will reach out to the world, including the AIFA, to put an end to this act of terrorism towards Palestinian sports and athletes.”
This is not the first time Israel forces targeted Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium as PFA home base. But, this is the first time that it got caught on camera. As we all already know, FIFA strictly forbid tear gas use by apparatus inside stadium.
Rajoub adds that the PFA will file a complaint to FIFA about the incident and communicate the problem with football federation in Asia and the whole world to put an end to terrorism against sports. There are no response yet from the Israeli government about the incident.
The Israeli attacks against the football stadium yesterday sparks out another highlight of FIFA’s decision removing Indonesia as the host for U-20 World Cup 2023.
Indonesia’s removal was because of rejection towards the Israeli national team that qualified for the tournament, while also some governmental personnel refused vehemently for the Israeli national team to attend the before scheduled event for drawing on 31st March, now cancelled.
Although there has been negotiation between PSSI leader Erick Thohir and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Erick couldn’t change FIFA’s decision on removing Indonesia as the host.
