Ramallah – Saba:
The Palestinian Football Association has documented the martyrdom of 785 athletes and administrative staff across various sports in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank since the start of the genocide committed by Israeli occupation forces on October 7, 2023.
Susan Al-Shalabi, Vice President of the Association, stated, "The Association has recorded the martyrdom of 785 players, staff, and administrators from various sports during the Israeli genocide, the vast majority of them in the Gaza Strip, including 23 in the West Bank."
In a statement to Anadolu Agency, she clarified that "among the martyrs are 437 football players, 15 of whom were from the West Bank."
Al-Shalabi explained that "the Association is attempting to verify the numbers through player registration documents and updates from its branch in Gaza."
She added, "However, the announced figures are not final due to missing persons still under the rubble and the difficulty of accessing all affected areas because of Israeli bombardment and the blockade imposed on the Strip."
Regarding damaged sports facilities, the Vice President of the Palestinian Football Association said, "The Israeli aggression has led to the total or partial destruction of 288 sports facilities, including 21 in the occupied West Bank, encompassing stadiums, sports halls, and club facilities."
Al-Shalabi called for "an end to the deliberate Israeli targeting of Palestinian sports and the protection of athletes and facilities in the West Bank and Gaza."
With American and European support, the Israeli occupation army has continued to commit genocide in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, resulting in the martyrdom of 56,531 Palestinian citizens, the majority of whom are children and women, and injuring 133,642 others as of Monday. The toll is not final, as thousands of victims remain under the rubble and in the streets, unreachable by rescue teams.
Simultaneously with the genocide in Gaza, the Israeli occupation army and settlers have escalated attacks in the West Bank, including East Quds, leading to the martyrdom of at least 986 Palestinians and the injury of around 7,000 others, according to Palestinian sources.
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