Israeli officials have prolonged the detention of Rand Halawani, a 20-year-old member of the Palestinian Women’s National Football team, until Friday. Halawani was initially detained earlier this week on Tuesday after being summoned to the Tel Beit Police Station in West Jerusalem, where she was arrested upon arrival.
On Wednesday, she appeared before a Magistrate’s Court in Jerusalem, which approved the extension of her detention to allow further investigation. The specific reasons behind her arrest have not been disclosed.
Mohammad Mahmoud, a lawyer affiliated with the Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Jerusalem, revealed plans to file an urgent appeal with the Central Court of Israel. This appeal aims to challenge Halawani’s detention and seek her immediate release.
In a related incident on the same day, Israeli forces arrested Natalie Abu Diya, a media student at Birzeit University and former national football player. Her home in Birzeit, north of Ramallah, was raided during the arrest.
Birzeit University condemned these arrests, describing them as part of Israel’s systematic efforts to undermine Palestinian education and restrict students’ academic pursuits.
The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) issued a statement condemning the detention of its players, emphasizing that these arrests are not isolated events but part of a documented pattern targeting Palestinian athletes. The PFA highlighted that such actions violate international law, FIFA regulations, and the Olympic Charter, all of which protect athletes’ rights to freedom of movement and non-discrimination.
Notably, the PFA pointed to a recent case involving Musab Abu Salem, who was barred from traveling to Italy after being stopped at the Allenby Bridge crossing. Abu Salem was scheduled to join the Palestine Stars team for a solidarity match against a Napoli Stars selection in support of the Palestinian people.
Alongside Natalie Abu Diya, three other young Palestinian women were detained in the occupied West Bank. Since the onset of Israel’s conflict with Gaza in October 2023, the West Bank has experienced intensified Israeli military raids, arrests, and settlement expansions, escalating tensions in the region.
