Israeli authorities have arrested two members of the Palestinian women’s football team, namely Rand Al Halawani and Natalie Abu Dayyeh, both of whom have represented Palestine internationally.
Abu Dayyeh was among four people arrested during an Israeli raid on student accommodation near Birzeit University in occupied West Bank, and studies media and journalism at the university. She plays club football for Diyar Women.
Al Halawani was subsequently detained after Israeli authorities summoned her to the Talpiot police station in West Jerusalem. An Israeli court later extended her detention until next Friday, a Palestinian news agency reported.
The Palestine Football Association condemned the arrests, calling them part of a broader pattern of persecution. “Rand and Natalie are young international players who have proudly represented Palestine at both youth and senior levels,” the association said in a statement.
It described the detentions as “part of a well-documented pattern of systematic targeting of Palestinian athletes, which continues without accountability”, adding that Palestinian athletes are routinely denied freedom of movement, safety and the basic right to participate in sport under equal conditions. “[These are] rights that FIFA explicitly guarantees to all players worldwide without discrimination.”
The association also called on FIFA and the international sporting community to take concrete disciplinary action to address these ongoing violations.
