Gaza, another square to express the sporting conscience in the world, has since the outbreak of the Israeli occupation’s aggression on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, the sport turned into a platform for the human conscience, and raised athletes and coaches and even sports federations their voices against the ongoing aggression and the genocide campaign carried out by the Israeli occupation.
Where more than 800 Palestinian athletes were martyred, according to some statistics, and entire stadiums and sports clubs were destroyed, but this destruction did not silence silence; Rather, it sparked global solidarity campaigns calling for the boycott of the Israeli occupation mathematically, and the suspension of its membership in international organizations. Crares such as “Gameoverisrael” and “Athletes 4”, which collected dozens of stars to defend Gaza.
Lessons from the front lines
Coaches, who make up the difference strategies, are today the conscience coaches. In Italy, the Italian Football Association (AIAC) launched a 2025 campaign calling on the Italian Federation to pay FIFA to stop the occupation, noting “the destruction of Palestinian sport as a war crime.” One of the coaches said, in a statement to “Nawafa Media”: “We are training to win, but the real victory is the stopping of extermination in Gaza.”
Among the most prominent stances of Western coaches, Lujiano Spalletti (Italian national team coach), described before the Italian match against the occupation team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers (September 2025), the meeting is that “it is really sad that we are forced to play against such countries … Russia was immediately expelled from everything in UEFA and FIFA, but the same thing was not done with Israel, which commits genocide against the Palestinians.” The statement raised tensions in the match, as Italian players clashed with Israelis, and the fans chanted against the occupation.
As for the former Italian coach, Janaro Gatoso: He expressed his heavy anger during the same match, participating in the protests against genocide in Gaza, and supporting the AIAC campaign for comment.
The Palestinian football team coach described his work as “the most difficult job in the world”, saying: “I train in the shadow of genocide; Players are killed, and stadiums are burned. International sport must intervene now.
These situations are not individual; In Spain, the BDS demonstrations arrested the “Voilta” race (Spain’s session) in Galicia, calling for the arrest of the Israeli team, “Israel, Premier Tek”.
Unions take steps towards the boycott
Sports federations, which rule the rules, are starting to turn into the forces of change. The AFC (AFC) announced its full support for Palestine’s proposal to suspend Israel from FIFA, providing a video documenting the martyrdom of players and coaches in Gaza.
The head of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, Major General Gabriel Rajoub, wrote an open letter last September, in which he said: “In the name of Palestine and its athletes, we call on the global sports community to stop the extermination in Gaza. Silence is a crime, and sports are responsible for peace. ”
Last September, the European Football Association (UEFA) moved towards a vote to suspend the Israeli occupation association because of the aggression on Gaza, supported by the calls of United Nations experts to “suspend countries that commit collective human rights violations”, and despite the postponement of the vote due to the proposed American peace plan, UEFA has become “the first sports union that may suspend Israel”, as described by reports.
In Spain, the Football Association warned against boycotting the 2026 World Cup if Israel participates, stressing that “sport cannot be silent in front of starvation and extermination of civilians, especially children in Gaza.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez supported this, saying: “Sports cannot be used to whiten crimes.”
As for the Norwegian Football Association, it donated tickets for a match with Israel for humanitarian aid in Gaza, calling for “immediate comment.”
In the United States, the American Association for the Defense of Rights (ADC) launched the “No Football for Apartheid” campaign, calling for Israel’s suspension from FIFA, noting that more than 421 Palestinian players were killed and the sporting infrastructure destroyed in Gaza.
For its part, the Palestinian Basketball Federation called on the international community to “stop violence immediately”, noting the destruction of sport in Gaza.
Although some international federations (such as FIFA) refused to comment so far, campaigns such as “Gameoverisrael”, which bring together 9 European countries, are pressuring to change this, with support from human rights organizations such as “Gaza Triponal”.
Sounds of stars from international stadiums
The global athletes, who are seen from millions, have become symbols of solidarity with Gaza, refusing silence before crimes. Last September, 48 professional athletes, including the French star Paul Pogba (winner of the 2018 World Cup) and the English player in Crick, Muwin Ali, signed an open message to the European Football Association (UEFA) calling for “an immediate suspension of Israel from all competitions to abide by international law and stop the killing of civilians in Gaza.”
“Sports must be for peace, not to cover up crimes,” Pogba, who did not hide his anger at the “genocide”, said in a statement. Gaza is bleeding, and we refuse to play with the killers. ”
Also among the prominent stars is Hakim Ziyash (the Moroccan Chelsea player) who joined the “Athletics of Peace” campaign, calling for “immediately stopping Israel”, pointing to the death of dozens of Palestinian players, and Anwar Al -Ghazi (the Dutch Ajax player), who signed the same message, and added in a tweet on X: “The ball does not play in the blood. Gaza first, and sports second. ”In addition to Farouk Mia and Ibrahim Skaga (two Ugandan players), out of 48 athletes signed the message, demanding UEFA to intervene against“ collective hunger and killing in Gaza ”.
In the United States, the American Humanitarian Federation organized a youth soccer championship in Rafah, to remind the world that “Palestinian children dream of the ball, not with shells.”
As for cricket, Muen Ali was not satisfied with signing; Rather, he called for “a ban on Israel from all sports,” considering that “silence is a crime.”
These stars are not alone; The “Gameoverisrael” campaign, launched by a coalition of human rights, fans and former players, gathered Eric Cantona (the famous French) and Gary Linker (English), demanding a boycott of the Israeli team and preventing Israeli players from European leagues.
Cantona said: «The ball does not forgive the extermination; Israel must be outside the field until the killing stops. ”