Pro-Palestine protesters demand Italy cancel upcoming World Cup qualifying match against Israel | OneFootball

Pro-Palestinian activists gathered at Italy’s national football team training centre on Friday, demanding the cancellation of an upcoming World Cup qualifier against Israel.

The protest, at Florence’s Coverciano facility, cited the ongoing conflict in Gaza and an aid mission blocked by Israeli forces.

The demonstration was part of a wider national strike. Italy is scheduled to host Israel in Udine on 14 October, though UEFA is reportedly considering suspending Israel due to the war.

The squad was not present but is due to convene there on Monday.

Dozens of protests have erupted across Italy since Wednesday night, following the Israeli navy’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla and the detention of its activists.

On Friday, major unions called for a general strike in solidarity with Palestinians, leading to hundreds of train cancellations, domestic flight disruptions, and widespread school closures.

The demonstration outside the training centre comes as more organisations have called for Israel to be banned from international football during the ongoing war.

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Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest during a nationwide strike called by the USB union to condemn the Israeli forces' interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla vessels aiming to reach Gaza and break Israel's naval blockade, in Rome, Italy (REUTERS)

Amnesty International has added to mounting pressure on football's authorities by calling for Fifa and Uefa to suspend the Israeli Football Association (IFA), specifically pointing to the contravention of Fifa’s own statutes due to clubs playing games on occupied land.

Fifa has repeatedly been accused of putting off action since the Palestine Football Association (PFA) first called for a Fifa sanction on the grounds of human rights and humanitarian law violations committed in the Gaza Strip in April 2024.

A United Nations Commission of Inquiry issued a report this month concluding that Israel has committed genocide during the war in Gaza. Israel has denied committing genocide.

It comes amid a widespread belief that president Gianni Infantino does not want to politically aggravate US president Donald Trump ahead of next year's World Cup. The US state department have said they will push back against any attempts to ban Israel.