Exclusive: FIFA Involved in Gaza Reconstruction
The “Board of Peace” convening today, Thursday, at the Donald Trump Institute for Peace in Washington brings an intriguing development in the world of sports: FIFA will be involved in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
As outlined in the event’s program, a presentation from the international football organization will detail FIFA’s plan to rehabilitate sports and football infrastructure in Gaza.
According to sources within the football body, the initiative includes the restoration of sports facilities, stadiums, and smaller pitches, alongside grant programs and budgets aimed at “promoting sports employment” for young people in the Strip.
In October, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that FIFA would help restore football in the city of Gaza and the wider Palestinian territories, including rebuilding facilities destroyed during Israel’s two-year military operation in Gaza.
“It’s something that is really important for FIFA to be here to support, to help, to assist, to make sure that this peace process comes to fruition,” Infantino said after signing a document outlining plans for regional stability and reconstruction.
“Football’s role has to be to support, to unite, to give hope. We will help to rebuild all the football facilities in Gaza, bring football back together with the Palestinian Football Association, and create opportunities for children through the game.”
The presentation is scheduled after remarks from various speakers representing member countries of the Board of Peace, including Emir Ibn Tamim Al-Thani from Qatar, Hakan Fidan, the Turkish Foreign Minister, and Moustafa Madbouly, Egypt’s Foreign Minister. Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, will not be speaking.