Coalition of professional athletes calls for UEFA to suspend Israel

A coalition of professional athletes has called for UEFA to suspend Israel from all competitions.

A statement with 48 signatures, including those of France midfielder Paul Pogba and cricketer Moeen Ali, under the banner Athletes 4 Peace demands the suspension of Israel over the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza.

"As professional athletes of diverse backgrounds, faiths, and beliefs, we believe sport must uphold the principles of justice, fairness, and humanity," read the statement.

"Sport cannot stand silent while athletes and civilians including children are indiscriminately killed en masse in Gaza.

"International sport has acted before in order to protect the integrity of sport and to uphold the values it stands for when a nation's actions fundamentally breached those principles by violating human rights and international law.

"Today, we face another test of our collective conscience and remaining silent and taking no action are not conscionable options.

"We, the signatories of Athletes 4 Peace, call upon UEFA to immediately suspend Israel from all competitions until it complies with international law and ends its killing of civilians and the widespread starvation."

The statement cited the death last month of Suleiman al-Obeid, known as the Palestinian Pele, who, according to the Palestine Football Association, was killed when Israeli forces attacked civilians waiting for humanitarian aid in southern Gaza.

Athletes 4 Peace is coordinated by Nujum Sports, the official representative body for Muslim athletes in the UK, who said they had been approached by sportspeople "of all faiths and none" to help bring their message to the widest audience possible.