The Palestinian Football Association announced the restart of its league on September 4, with 226 clubs competing in the inaugural "Thousand Martyrs' Cup" tournament.
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The Palestinian Football Association announced Monday that it will resume competitive football activities beginning September 4, ending a nearly three-year suspension caused by the war in Gaza.
Association President Jibril Rajoub made the announcement at a news conference in Ramallah. "We announce the resumption of sports activities and the football association's league beginning September 4," he said.
Palestinian sports leagues, including professional football, halted operations after the war began on October 7, 2023, following a Hamas attack on Israel.
The inaugural tournament following the resumption will be named the "Thousand Martyrs' Cup," honoring 1,014 Palestinian athletes killed during the conflict, according to the association's data.
A total of 226 clubs will participate in the tournament. The participating clubs comprise 146 teams from the Israeli-occupied West Bank, 44 from Gaza, and 36 from Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.
Rajoub stated that the war "created difficult conditions for all Palestinians, leading to the suspension of our competitions and activities."
Israeli and Lebanese officials said Wednesday that Israel is weighing a pause in fighting against Hezbollah, though formal approval remains pending.
A 10-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah began Friday, displacing over one million Lebanese residents and complicating Netanyahu's political position domestically.
Hundreds of supporters greeted Egypt at el-Alamein airport Friday after the team's best-ever World Cup performance, which ended with a last-16 loss to Argentina.
Palestinians commemorate the 1948 displacement of roughly 750,000 people. More than two million remain displaced in Gaza following a ceasefire.
Israeli forces killed the leader of Hamas' military wing on Friday in Gaza City. Al-Haddad was one of the architects of the October 7, 2023 attacks.
Israeli military strikes kill at least five people in southern Lebanon and issue forced displacement orders, citing Hezbollah ceasefire violations.
