After both Rajoub and Israeli football representative Basim Sheikh Suliman addressed delegates, FIFA President Gianni Infantino invited the two officials to stand beside him for a photograph.Rajoub declined repeatedly, despite several attempts by Infantino to persuade him to participate.

At one point, Rajoub could be heard saying, “We are suffering,” according to footage from the meeting.The incident followed renewed Palestinian pressure on FIFA over Israeli football clubs based in West Bank settlements, an issue that has remained a source of dispute for years within world football’s governing body.

The Palestinian Football Association has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after FIFA declined to impose sanctions on Israel over clubs located in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian officials argue that such clubs should not be allowed to compete in leagues organized under Israeli football authorities because the settlements are considered illegal under international law by much of the international community.

In 2024, United Nations experts identified at least eight football clubs operating in what they described as “Israeli colonial settlements” and called on FIFA to fulfill its human rights responsibilities by addressing the issue.

Speaking to reporters after the congress, Rajoub urged FIFA to enforce its own statutes consistently.“Apply the statutes with fairness, with logic,” he said.He also cited the broader impact of the Gaza war on Palestinian sport, accusing Israel of destroying sports facilities and causing the deaths of Palestinian athletes and staff.

“What’s going on in Palestine is terrible, destroying all the Palestinian sport facilities in Gaza, the killings of hundreds of Palestinian athletes, employees I think it’s now the time to make justice,” Rajoub said.Referring to the Israeli delegate, he added: “The guy who spoke on behalf of Israel, he did not even pay attention to the suffering, to what’s going on.”

“I refused to shake hands. How can I shake hands or have a photo with such a man?”FIFA has faced repeated calls from Palestinian officials and rights advocates to take action over Israeli settlement clubs, but the governing body has so far stopped short of imposing disciplinary measures.

The issue has added to wider political tensions surrounding international sport as the conflict in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories continues to affect athletes, federations and major sporting institutions.

Speaking during a visit on Monday to Palestinian villages in the West Bank alongside former senior Israeli officials including Matan Vilnai and Amram Mitzna, Pardo said the conditions he witnessed reminded him of historic persecution faced by Jews in Europe and left him feeling “ashamed to be Jewish,” according to remarks carried by Israel’s Channel 13.

Pardo said Israeli authorities were fully aware of settler attacks on Palestinian residents but had chosen not to intervene, describing the trend as a moral and strategic danger for the country.

He warned that confronting radical settlers, some of whom he said were armed and enjoyed political backing, could trigger internal instability and deepen divisions inside Israel.Pardo specifically pointed to the influence of far-right cabinet ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, both of whom have supported stronger Israeli control over the West Bank and expansion of settlements.

Violence across the occupied territory has intensified in recent months, with Palestinian communities reporting repeated attacks, destruction of homes and farmland, and forced displacement.The United Nations considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law and has repeatedly called for a halt to settlement expansion, a position Israel disputes.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said annexation of parts of the West Bank was not currently being pursued, citing opposition from U.S. President Donald Trump.However, Saar said Israel remained opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state and would continue to strengthen its presence in the territory, a position that has further strained relations with the European Union and drawn criticism from rights groups and international partners.

The West Bank, captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, remains one of the central flashpoints in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with rising tensions fueling fears of broader regional instability.

Zelensky said on X that he had instructed Ukraine’s intelligence chief to brief Kyiv’s international partners on the reported plans, which he described as part of Moscow’s continued use of Belarusian territory and occupied areas of Ukraine to support drone operations.

In his nightly video address, Zelensky said the intelligence indicated Russia intends to build additional ground control stations to enhance long-range drone capabilities. He added that Belarus had previously played a role in amplifying the impact of Russian strikes earlier in the conflict, before Ukraine took countermeasures.

“We now have information from our intelligence that Russia intends to continue using the territory of Belarus and temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine to build ground control stations for long-range drones,” he said.

Zelensky warned that Ukraine would respond to any such developments. “There will be responses to this. And they will be felt,” he said, without providing details.

The Belarusian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside business hours.

The missile hit a hair salon in the town of Beit Awwa, southwest of Hebron, the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency WAFA reported. Thirteen people were wounded, including one in serious condition.

The Israeli military said its initial assessment indicated the strike was caused by a cluster munition, a type of warhead that disperses multiple smaller bomblets over a wide area, increasing the risk to civilians.

Iran has launched daily missile attacks toward Israel since the conflict escalated at the end of February, though there have been no prior reports of it deliberately targeting Palestinian areas in the West Bank.

Unlike most Israeli cities, where bomb shelters are widely available, Palestinians in the West Bank have limited access to protective infrastructure. Many rely on sirens from nearby Israeli settlements or cities for warning of incoming attacks.

The disparity in civil defence measures has heightened risks for civilians as missile exchanges intensify across the region.Rising toll amid regional warAt least 15 people have been killed in Israel since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, triggering the current conflict.

The latest incident underscores the widening geographic and human impact of hostilities.The strike comes as streets across the West Bank have been crowded in recent days, with families preparing for Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of Ramadan.