Palestinian Club Football Set to Return After Three-Year Hiatus

AL-BIREH, West Bank:

Palestinian club football is set to resume on Sept. 4 after a nearly three-year interruption, with 226 teams from the West Bank, Gaza and Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon scheduled to take part in a tournament created to honour athletes killed during the conflict.

The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) has named the inaugural competition the “Thousand Martyrs Cup”, describing it as the first step toward restoring organised football after years of disruption.

PFA President Jibril Rajoub announced the tournament on Monday at the Joseph Blatter Academy in Al-Bireh in the occupied West Bank. He said the initiative was intended to revive Palestinian sport and provide a source of hope and community life for Palestinians at home and abroad.

Rajoub also called for support from FIFA and other international football organisations to help clubs cope with financial and security challenges.

226 clubs from three regions

The tournament will bring together 146 clubs from the West Bank, 44 from Gaza and 36 from Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.

The opening phase will be organised through regional and association-based groups. Opening matches are scheduled to take place simultaneously across the three regions.

In the West Bank, Jabal Al-Mukaber will face Shabab Al-Khalil. In Gaza, Shabab Rafah is due to play Khadamat Rafah, while Al-Ansar and Al-Nahda are scheduled to meet at the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon.

The tournament is being organised as an interim competition, with the PFA planning to introduce a regular league structure from the following season.

Tournament honours athletes killed in conflict

The name of the competition is intended to commemorate Palestinian athletes who died during the conflict.

According to the PFA, 1,014 Palestinian athletes have been killed over the past three years. Three separate trophies are being prepared for the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon, with the names of all 1,014 athletes to be inscribed on them.

The PFA says the tournament is therefore intended not only as a sporting event but also as a commemoration of those who lost their lives.

Financial and infrastructure challenges

The return of club football comes amid significant financial and infrastructure difficulties. The PFA said every club meeting the required eligibility criteria will receive equal financial assistance, which can be used to purchase equipment and cover transportation costs.

Rajoub said Palestinians had maintained their determination and belief despite the difficult circumstances. He described sport as an enduring symbol of hope and life and presented the resumption of football as part of a broader effort to rebuild Palestinian sporting institutions.

The Sept. 4 tournament is consequently being positioned as more than a temporary sporting competition. Organisers hope it will provide a pathway towards the restoration of regular domestic football after years of disruption.

For Palestinian players and clubs, the return to competitive football represents an attempt to rebuild a sporting culture severely affected by the conflict, while carrying the memory of athletes who did not survive it.