Qatar is reportedly pushing UEFA to hold an emergency vote today on removing Israel from all European football competitions, including World Cup qualifying matches.
Israeli media outlets Israel Hayom and Channel 12 report that Qatar, a major UEFA financial backer, wants the vote following Israel's recent strike on Doha.
The move could end Israel's participation in next year's World Cup, where they currently sit third in their qualifying group behind Italy on goal difference.
Israel competes through UEFA's qualification process as their football association belongs to the European federation rather than Asia.
Israel could be booted out of the World Cup
|REUTERS
The reported pressure comes after an Israeli operation targeting Hamas leaders in Doha earlier this month, which apparently failed to eliminate the terror chiefs and led to stalled ceasefire negotiations that Qatar had been mediating.
Officials from Israel's Football Association have denied that any vote is scheduled to take place.
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UEFA's official website shows their next meeting is set for December 3, though reports suggest Qatar is pressing for an emergency session.
Reports say that the Israeli FA are working non-stop to gather support from allies in both sporting and diplomatic circles. "We are working on it on all fronts," a senior source told Israeli media.
Germany and Hungary are reportedly prepared to oppose holding the vote.
The timing follows major diplomatic shifts, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron both recognising Palestine as a state.
Netanyahu called the move a "reward" for Hamas terrorists. Canada's Mark Carney and Australia's Anthony Albanese joined the coordinated recognition effort.
Israel's FA are working around the clock to prevent their nation being banned from the World Cup next year
|PA
Starmer insisted the UK would proceed with the symbolic gesture due to the "growing horror" of Israel's offensive in the occupied enclave and the Netanyahu government's failure to secure a ceasefire. The coordinated diplomatic move saw pro-Palestine protests erupting across Europe.
"We want two states living side by side in peace and security to become a reality," Macron said, calling Palestinian recognition "a defeat for Hamas."
The French president stressed that his top priority remains securing the release of 48 hostages and ending military operations in Gaza. "I commend the efforts undertaken by Qatar, Egypt and the US to achieve this," he said. "I ask Israel to do nothing more that would thwart these."
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned that without a two-state solution, there would be no Middle East peace and radicalism would spread globally.
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for permanent ceasefire and humanitarian access through the UN and UNRWA
|PA
Qatar's financial clout with UEFA stems from a six-year sponsorship agreement with Qatar Airways signed last year, worth a reported £436 million.
The Middle Eastern state's flag carrier deal underscores the close relationship between Qatar and European football's governing body.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for permanent ceasefire and humanitarian access through the UN and UNRWA.
"I address the Israeli people saying, our future and yours banks on peace, enough violence and war. Our generation deserves to enjoy freedom and security," he said.
The war in Gaza began after Hamas launched a surprise attack from the territory on October 7th, killing more than 1,000 Israelis. Israel's military response has displaced, injured and traumatised hundreds of thousands in Gaza, according to international leaders.
Manchester United legend Eric Cantona has joined calls for Israel's suspension from international football. Speaking at a Together 4 Palestine event in London this month, he drew parallels with Russia's ban following their Ukraine invasion.
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FIFA are yet to make a decision
| Getty"Four days after Russia started a war in Ukraine, FIFA and UEFA suspended Russia. We are now 716 days into what Amnesty International have called a genocide and yet Israel continue to be allowed to participate," Cantona said. "Why, why is it double standards?"
The former France international urged clubs and players to refuse matches against Israeli teams, comparing it to sporting boycotts that helped end South African apartheid.
Spain's governing party spokesperson Patxi Lopez echoed these sentiments, suggesting Israeli teams' exclusion from sporting events and Eurovision could help "open eyes" to the situation.