By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Norwegian Football Association President Lise Klaveness said that “the Norwegian Football Association stands with the Norwegian government in its demand for an immediate end to the disproportionate attacks on innocent civilians in Gaza.”

The Norwegian Football Association has announced its rejection to compete against the Israeli national team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers for Europe, citing the ongoing Israeli war against Gaza since October 7, 2023, the Safa news agency reported. 

Israel’s Ynet News, and other media sources, didn’t convey the news as a final Norwegian decision not to compete against the Israeli team. However, it reported that Norway wanted the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to investigate the Israeli crimes against Palestinians before the World Cup qualifier.

Norwegian Football Association President Lise Klaveness said that “the Norwegian Football Association stands with the Norwegian government in its demand for an immediate end to the disproportionate attacks on innocent civilians in Gaza.”

The Norwegian Football Federation has refused to face the Israeli national team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers for Europe, due to the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza since October 7, 2023.

The Norwegian Football Federation is pressuring international football bodies to punish… pic.twitter.com/cbim67oKXD

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 17, 2024

She added,

“The draw is difficult for us, beyond the purely sporting aspect. None of us can remain indifferent to the disproportionate attacks that Israel has inflicted on the civilian population of Gaza over a long period of time.”

Klaveness went further, stating that Norway is actively involved in calls for sanctions against Israel on the international stage.

“Israel is still part of (the Union of European Football Associations) UEFA competitions. We have to deal with that. We are following the situation closely with FIFA, UEFA and the Norwegian authorities,” she added. 

According to Safa, Klaveness’s statements were first published on the Israeli Channel I24.

The Norwegian national team is scheduled to play its matches against Israel on March 25 and October 11. However, “the association’s decision to boycott raises uncertainty about whether these fixtures will proceed,” Safa reported.

Ongoing Genocide

Meanwhile, the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip continued with the death toll among starved and besieged Palestinian civilians rising daily.  

Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7, 2023. 

  According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 45,059 Palestinians have been killed, and 107,041 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.

Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip. 

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Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. However, Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’. 

Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children. 

The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern region.

(The Palestine Chronicle)