The Athletic exclusively reported on Monday that UEFA is considering sanctioning Israel on humanitarian grounds for its continued bombing of the Gaza Strip despite a UN ceasefire agreement.

According to the report, UEFA officials have traveled to New York to meet with representatives of the international Palestinian human rights organization, Game Over, Israel!

The meeting, which began on September 17th, the day after Israel and Palestine signed the United Nations (UN) ceasefire agreement, has been ongoing intermittently.

The two sides discussed numerous international issues, including those concerning human rights and livelihoods in the Israeli-Palestinian Gaza conflict, as well as the international community's concern that Israel has never been seriously sanctioned by international football governing bodies.

It is understood that UEFA initially held a stance of reluctance to interfere excessively in international sanctions and criticism of Israel. However, the fact that officials from European Union (EU) member states such as Ireland, Scotland, Norway, and France have begun to follow the lead of Indonesia, Malaysia, and several Arabian countries in imposing sanctions on Israel has ultimately forced the UEFA to consider changing its position.

The report added that in their most recent meeting, the representatives of Game Over, Israel! explicitly cited the recent ban imposed by the English Football Association and police on Israeli fans traveling to the UK to attend Aston Villa's Europa League match.

They also reiterated they wish for UEFA's firm stance on Israel's right to particpate in football be sanctioned, citing the example of Villa's opponents, Maccabi Tel-Aviv's repeatedly use of violence against those who showed solidarity with Palestinians and the people of Gaza.

To advocate human rights equality, the organization, along with Palestinian refugees, held a symbolic charity football match in Rome, Italy, last month, titled "Show Israel the Red Card".

However, while UEFA may consider changing its stance and imposing sanctions on Israel after listening to Game Over, Israel!'s demands, the authorities will still follow democratic procedures, holding a special meeting with UEFA member associations to discuss the issue before formally deciding whether to impose sanctions.

Finally, reporters believes that the main reason UEFA and FIFA have hesitated to decide on sanctioning Israel is the economic implications and the potentially huge consequences.

Given the continued significant influence of the Jewish community across various sectors of global business, economics, culture, and social development, a hasty decision to impose sanctions on Israel could have indelible consequences not only for international football but also for the international social system.

Israel was originally a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), but was expelled in 1974 after several Arabian member associations opposed them due to its persistent and continuous violent conflicts with Palestine, particularly in the Gaza Strip.

After a 20-year struggle, the Israeli Football Association (IFA) successfully joined UEFA in 1994. However, since joining, the IFA has faced constant criticism for its handling of political tensions and calls for its permanent expulsion from the footballing system.