FIFA president Gianni Infantino has called for the ‘immediate end of hostilities’ between Israelis and Palestinians in a letter to the Israeli football association.
Infantino claimed football can be a ‘vehicle for peace’ and ‘light of hope where there appears to be only darkness ahead’ as the conflict escalates.
It comes after almost a week since Hamas militants stormed into Israel, leaving 1,300 people dead and thousands more injured.
More than 1,500 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched their large-scale retaliation.
As reported by Sky News, in the letter to Shino Moshe Zuares, the president of the Israeli football association, Infantino called for peace.
‘I would like to express, on behalf of FIFA and the entire international football community, our deepest condolences to the Israel Football Association and the Palestine Football Association, in light of the horrendous violence that has been occurring over the past days,’ Infantino wrote.
‘It is as heart-breaking as it is shocking to see a region, whose people have known such profound suffering over far too long, suffer even more.
‘The footballing world stands firmly in solidarity with the people of Israel and Palestine, and with all the innocent victims that have paid an unspeakable price.
‘FIFA joins in calling for the immediate end of hostilities and for the immediate relief of the suffering of the people of both Israel and Palestine.
‘Of course, we know that football cannot solve the problems of the World, but it can play even a small part in bringing a light of hope where there appears to be only darkness ahead.
‘Football shows that it is possible to bring people together in an environment of mutual respect, acting as a vehicle for peace and, eventually, reconciliation, even when this may have seemed impossible to all but a few.
‘I would like to stress that FIFA will do whatever we possibly can to assist you in your relief efforts and to restoring peace and hope to your people now and into the future.’
Football in Israel has been suspended indefinitely while UEFA postponed the Israeli national team’s European Championship qualifiers against Switzerland and Kosovo.
UEFA said in a statement on Thursday that Sunday’s qualifier with Kosovo in Pristina cannot be played ‘because the Israeli authorities currently do not allow their national team to travel abroad.’
It came as Israel dropped flyers over northern Gaza ordering more than one million people to ‘evacuate your homes immediately’ and flee south as their efforts to eradicate the Hamas terrorist group continue.
