The Aida Youth Centre in the occupied West Bank says it has not received any official confirmation that Israel has paused plans to demolish the camp’s only football pitch, despite some media reports. Demolition orders were posted on November 3 and December 31; a court petition briefly delayed enforcement until January 18, and the army later offered seven days for the centre to self-demolish. Local leaders stress the pitch was built legally on leased Armenian Church land and warn its loss would affect more than 250 children and could signal wider targeting of Palestinian sports facilities.
Aida Camp Says Reports Israel Halted Pitch Demolition Are Unconfirmed
Palestinian girls and boys take part in a football practice session at a pitch next to Israel’s separation wall in Aida Refugee camp, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Friday, December 26, 2025, weeks after Israeli authorities issued a decision to demolish the field [Mahmoud Illean/AP Photo]
Bethlehem, occupied West Bank — The Aida Youth Centre in the Aida refugee camp says it has not received any official notice confirming media reports that Israel has suspended plans to demolish the camp’s football pitch. Centre director Munther Amira told journalists that neither the centre nor its lawyers have been given formal documentation to substantiate claims published in some Israeli outlets.
Demolition Orders and Legal Steps
Amira said the pitch has been under threat since Israeli forces posted a demolition order on the pitch’s main gate on November 3, citing security concerns related to the site’s proximity to Israel’s separation barrier north of Bethlehem. A second demolition order was issued on December 31. The camp’s Popular Committee for Services—which holds the lease to the land—petitioned an Israeli court and secured a temporary delay in enforcement until January 18.
After the court decision, Amira said the Israeli army offered the centre an additional seven days on the condition that the centre carry out the demolition itself. “They told us either we demolish the pitch ourselves, or they will demolish it and force us to pay the costs,” Amira said, adding that the centre would not comply with such a demand.
Palestinian youth attend a football practice session at a pitch next to Israel’s separation wall in Aida Refugee camp [Mahmoud Illean/AP Photo]
Community Impact
The pitch is the camp’s only sporting facility and, local leaders say, serves more than 250 children and young people. Saeed al-Azzha, head of Aida’s Popular Committee for Services, told reporters the pitch and an on-site theatre were built under an arrangement with Bethlehem Municipality and on leased land owned by the Armenian Church, while a planned public garden was never completed due to repeated obstacles.
“Our lawyers have not received any official response from the court or from the Israeli authorities confirming this information,” Amira said. “For Aida camp, the youth centre and the Aida sports team, these remain unconfirmed media reports with no official basis.”
Players and children at the centre expressed distress at the prospect of losing the pitch. Eighteen-year-old Rimas Sarhan said she began her sporting life there and questioned what security threat the facility posed. Ten-year-old Mohammed Jadou asked where he would play if the pitch were demolished.
Allegations, International Appeals and Wider Context
Some media reports said Israel’s alleged pause followed appeals by international football bodies, including FIFA and UEFA. The Aida centre says it has seen no official confirmation of that claim.
Rimas Sarhan, 18, cannot understand why Israel wants to demolish the football pitch she trains on in Aida [Monjed Jadou/Al Jazeera]
The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) has described the demolition order as a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and has warned it would deprive hundreds of children of their right to sport. The PFA also said the order fits what it calls a broader policy targeting Palestinian sport, alleging that hundreds of athletes have been killed and that nearly 300 sporting facilities have been wholly or partially destroyed.
Palestinian sports journalist Anan Shehadeh told reporters that authorities have long viewed Palestinian sport as a vehicle for national identity and political expression. He recalled past threats against prominent facilities, and said international and legal efforts have sometimes prevented demolitions in the past.
Nader al-Jayousi, technical director of the Palestine Olympic Committee, said leagues and activities have been disrupted since the outbreak of war, with a resulting decline in performance. He added that Palestinian authorities have provided FIFA and other federations with documented evidence of alleged violations but, he said, tangible international sanctions or remedies have not followed.
Current Status
As of the latest statements from the Aida Youth Centre, no formal notification confirming a suspension of demolition plans has been received. The centre continues campaigning to “Save the Pitch” and has appealed to the international sporting community and legal channels for support.
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