Fifa urged to stop Israeli demolition of West Bank refugee camp football pitch Submitted by Lubna Masarwa on Wed, 01/07/2026 - 13:15 Palestinian youth organisation appeals to football governing body to intervene after Israeli authorities order demolition of the only pitch in Aida refugee camp A displaced Palestinian youth takes part in a training session at the Aida Refugee Camp’s football pitch, next to the separation wall outside Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, on 16 December 2025 (AFP/John Wessels) Off A Palestinian group has appealed to Fifa to intervene to stop the planned Israeli demolition of a football pitch in the occupied West Bank used by children and players who have represented Palestine in women's football at the international youth level. In a letter seen by Middle East Eye - dated 6 January and addressed to Fifa president Gianni Infantino and Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis - Munther Amira, a board director of the Aida Youth Centre, stated that Israeli authorities had notified the centre on 31 December that the pitch would be demolished within a week. “This is a clear and callous attempt to deprive Palestinians, including hundreds of boys and girls, of a facility that is of critical importance to their physical and mental welfare,” the letter said. “This pitch is in constant use… It is a rare place of hope and joy for children who endure severe hardship,” it added. The artificial pitch was installed in 2021 on land owned by the Armenian Church in Aida refugee camp, on the outskirts of Bethlehem, close to Israel’s separation wall. It is the only sporting facility in the densely populated camp and is also used by children from nearby refugee camps, including Bayt Jibrin. Amira said the pitch is used by the Aida Youth Centre’s football academy and provides a rare recreational space in an environment surrounded by checkpoints, watchtowers, a military base and the separation wall. The letter also highlighted the pitch’s role in developing women’s football in Palestine, noting that three former academy players had represented the Palestinian women’s national team at the West Asia Football Federation (WAFF) under-14 girls’ championship in December. 'The Israeli occupation are demolishing‬ the only pitch available to thousands of Palestinian boys and girls in Aida and‬‭ elsewhere' - Munther Amira, Aida Youth Centre board director The appeal comes weeks after Fifa announced plans to build two Fifa Arena mini-pitches in the West Bank in 2026 as part of a wider initiative to expand access to football in the region. The project is co-funded by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, which has committed CHF 120,000 (about $150,000), according to Fifa. Announcing the initiative in November 2025, Infantino said the pitches would represent “a message of solidarity and a belief in football’s ability to bring communities together, even in the most challenging contexts”. The letter argues that demolishing the Aida pitch would contradict those stated objectives, particularly as Fifa and Switzerland plan to support football infrastructure projects in both Israel and the Palestinian territories. “‭It is hard to believe that FIFA and the Swiss government will continue to provide funds‬ for Israel to build pitches for Israeli children, while the Israeli occupation are demolishing‬ the only pitch available to thousands of Palestinian boys and girls in Aida and‬‭ elsewhere,” the letter said. Middle East Eye has contacted Fifa, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the Israel Football Association for comment. 'The right to play football taken away' In November, Israeli soldiers pinned a notice to the gates of the pitch ordering a halt to all activities and warning that it could be demolished because it had been built without the required permits. Similar notices were issued to a nearby theatre and garden. Muhannad Abu Surour, director of the sports programme at the Aida Youth Centre, told MEE last month that the notice was discovered by children arriving early for training. “I was not the one who told the children; the children told me,” he said. Israel is threatening to demolish a popular West Bank youth football pitch Read More » Abu Surour added that hundreds of boys and girls aged between six and 19 are enrolled in the centre’s football programme. “The field is important to the children, their families, and to us. It is a space for psychological relief, given the difficult circumstances and the security situation in this place. “And now the occupation says it wants to demolish the field. Where are these children supposed to go? Even the simplest right, to play football, is being taken away,” he said. Covering about half a square kilometre, Aida camp is currently home to about 7,000 people, including about 2,500 children, living in overcrowded conditions. The camp was established by the United Nations in 1950 for Palestinians who fled from Jerusalem and Hebron during the Nakba of 1948, when Zionist gangs seized lands and displaced hundreds of thousands of people during the conflict that led to the formation of the state of Israel. Surrounded by checkpoints, Israeli military bases and settlements - with seven military watchtowers overlooking the camp - it is frequently raided by Israeli forces and was once described as the most tear-gassed place in the world. Speaking to MEE during a training session, Salma al-Azzam, 17, said the pitch was a vital escape and a “safe space” for children living in the camp. “Life in the camp is complicated, in terms of restrictions, and also because you live so close to your neighbours. There’s no privacy. And when you look outside, all you see is the wall around you. It’s exhausting,” said Azzam. “For us, the pitch is a place to release some of that pressure.” Occupation Jerusalem News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0