(MENAFN) More than 70 elite athletes have demanded the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) suspend Israel's football federation over alleged human rights violations against Palestinians.

In a Tuesday letter addressed to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, the Athletes for Peace coalition endorsed demands for the organization to terminate its relationship with the Israel Football Association.

The correspondence, drafted by the Game Over Israel organization, received backing from Athletes 4 Peace, The Gaza Tribunal, and The Hind Rajab Foundation.

"No shared venue, stage, or arena in international civil society should welcome a regime that commits genocide, apartheid, and other crimes against humanity," the letter said.

The appeal garnered support from high-profile sports figures, including French World Cup champion Paul Pogba, Dutch forward Anwar El Ghazi, Moroccan player Hakim Ziyech, and Spanish winger Adama Traore.

"Israel's continued impunity for such crimes will only be ended by the weight of collective conscientious action, including measures to block their entry to sporting or cultural events and activities," the letter added.

The document directly challenged Ceferin, citing his own statement that "football belongs to everyone," and cautioned that permitting individuals who compromise their own and others' humanity into the sport threatens to strip football of its fundamental principles.

The petition forms part of an extended campaign pressuring UEFA to prohibit Israel from tournament participation over military operations in Gaza.

Israeli forces have killed more than 69,000 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, and wounded over 170,000 others, rendering the Gaza Strip uninhabitable since October 2023, according to the Health Ministry.

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