THE Palestine Football Association (PFA) has denied reports of a planned Fifa youth match against Israel.
Reports earlier this week suggested that the football governing body was planning for the first game of the inaugural under-15s football festival in the US to involve the two nations.
But the PFA has since said it "has not received any official communication or proposal from Fifa regarding such a match".
It added that Fifa had said to the PFA that "no such match has been announced or organised, and that these reports are inaccurate".
The competition will be open to boys' and girls' teams from all 211 Fifa Member Associations, including Russia.
In a statement, the PFA said: "We state clearly and unequivocally that the PFA has not received any official communication or proposal from Fifa regarding such a match. Fifa has also confirmed to us that no such match has been announced or organised, and that these reports are inaccurate.
"Our position is firm and unchanged. Under the current circumstances, the PFA categorically rejects any attempt to promote or impose matches with an occupying power that systematically targets Palestinian athletes and sports infrastructure. We refuse to be part of any initiative that serves as sportswashing while Palestinian players continue to face daily violations.
"Over the past three years alone, more than 1000 Palestinian athletes have been killed, including Sulaiman Al-Obaid, the former national team captain and Nagham Abu Samra, the karate champion. This reality cannot be ignored or separated from any discussion about football activities involving Palestine.
"We continue to call for Israel to be held accountable for its violations of international sporting regulations. We urge all media outlets to rely on verified and official sources and to refrain from spreading misleading information."
Fifa president Gianni Infantino failed to get representatives from the Israel and Palestine football federations to shake hands and pose for a photo at the Fifa annual congress in April.
He called Jibril Rajoub, the president of the Palestinian football federation, and Basim Sheikh Suliman, the Israel FA vice-president, onto the stage and in front of the other delegates in the room.
But Rajoub refused to stand next to Suliman when Infantino attempted to bring them closer together for a handshake and photo opportunity.
Rajoub stood his ground when Infantino placed a hand on his shoulder and encouraged him to co-operate and exclaimed "we are suffering" to the crowd.
Speaking about the new under-15s festival in December, Infantino said: “We have been very active in promoting youth competitions and development, and this is a natural next step.
“Having Fifa U-15 festivals for boys and girls will be fundamental in Fifa’s quest to give every talent a chance all over the world and yet another example of how Fifa reinvests in the game."
