Jerusalem: In separate operations, Israel arrested two players of the Palestine Women’s National Football Team, Rind Halwani and Natali Abu Diya, and the Palestine Football Association (PFA) reacted strongly.
Natalie Abu Diya was detained during a raid on a university student residence in the occupied West Bank, and Rand Halwani was detained after being called for questioning at a police station in occupied Jerusalem.
According to this report, the university also condemned these arrests and said that this action is part of Israel’s policies on the education of Palestinians and the rights of students to study.
The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) officially condemned the targeting of athletes and asked FIFA to take immediate action.
The PFA said in a statement that the arrests of Palestinian players were not isolated incidents, but part of a long series of systematic targeting of Palestinian athletes.
The Palestinian Football Association called on FIFA to take effective measures in accordance with its principles of human rights, discrimination and the protection of the game.
