A soccer pitch in the Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem has been temporarily saved from an Israeli demolition order, thanks to intervention by FIFA and UEFA leaders. The global soccer bodies, along with Swiss officials, lobbied Israeli authorities to halt the plan amid concerns over the facility's role as a safe space for children. However, the Aida Youth Center warns that the threat persists without official confirmation.
The soccer pitch in the Aida refugee camp, located in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, faced demolition after an Israeli military order issued on December 31, 2025. The order cited illegal construction on land owned by the Armenian Church, near Israel's separation barrier, which the military claimed posed a security risk. The camp, home to over 7,000 Palestinian refugees according to 2023 UN figures, is isolated from surrounding recreational areas due to the barrier, making the pitch one of the few facilities for children to play and train.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino and UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin stepped in, enlisting Swiss officials to pressure Israeli authorities. Čeferin contacted Israel Football Association President Moshe Zuares, urging him to intervene. In a statement to CNN, UEFA expressed hope that "the pitch can continue to serve the local community as a safe space for children and youth," and thanked Zuares for his efforts. An IFA official confirmed the demolition has been halted for now, but noted that "a solution to the legal dispute will need to be addressed."
The Aida Youth Center, which launched a social media campaign and petitions after the order, welcomed the intervention but remains cautious. In a statement, it called the development a "huge step forward" but stressed that "the situation remains uncertain and that the threat to the pitch remains alive" without official Israeli confirmation. The center fears Israel might reactivate the order once international pressure eases, and vowed to continue its campaign so children can "play football with the peace of mind that the army will not come destroy their field at any moment."
A source close to UEFA told CNN that soccer "in this time is political," highlighting how the organizations' actions demonstrate football's potential to "tackle injustice and side with humanity." Children's educator Rachel Accurso, known as Ms. Rachel, joined the effort with a live video call to the camp's children, affirming that "every child has the right to play soccer." She later described the halt as a "big win for children’s rights everywhere."
The pitch's preservation underscores the intersection of sports and geopolitics in the region, though the youth center's board member Munther Amira described the initial order as a "clear and callous attempt to deprive Palestinians... of a facility that is of critical importance to their physical and mental welfare."
