FIFA chief Gianni Infantino has stated that the global football authority "cannot address geopolitical issues" as calls increase on football organizations to take action against the Israeli state.
A recent UN investigative panel found last month that the Israeli government has committed mass atrocities against Palestinian people in Gaza.
The involvement of Israel in football was omitted as a official topic on the agenda of a FIFA executive meeting held on the most recent Thursday.
However, Infantino mentioned the issue in his opening remarks for the gathering at FIFA's main office in Switzerland.
The mid-fifties leader said FIFA was dedicated to "harnessing the power of football" to "unite people together in a fragmented world".
"Our thoughts are with those who are enduring hardship in the numerous disputes that exist around the world today, and the most important statement that football can communicate right now is one of peace and unity," Infantino said.
"FIFA cannot solve geopolitical challenges, but it has the ability to and should advance football around the world by harnessing its connecting, instructive, societal and charitable principles."
The Israeli squad is presently competing in qualification matches for next year's men's World Cup, while Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv are playing in the Europa League.
Amnesty International has called on FIFA, which runs the global tournament, and UEFA, which organizes European competitions, to suspend the Israel's football body from their competitions.
FIFA deputy leader Victor Montagliani stated on the previous day that European football's governing body should take the necessary action.
"Primarily, [Israel] is a participant of UEFA, no different than I have to deal with a member of my region for whatever reason. They have to handle that," he said.
Israel are in third place in their qualification pool - managed by UEFA - six points behind front-runners Norway.
The group winner from each pool advances automatically for the competition, with the second-place teams entering the knockout rounds.
The 2026 World Cup is being jointly hosted by the US, the Mexican nation and Canada.
The US president Donald Trump's government has vowed to fight any efforts to block the Israeli team from taking part.
The UN report said there were reasonable grounds to determine four of the five genocidal acts specified under global statutes had been carried out by Israel in Gaza since the beginning of the war in 2023.
A group of rights specialists at the UN subsequently urged FIFA and UEFA to remove Israel's national team from global competitions, saying: "Athletics must refuse the notion that it is business as usual."
Israel has consistently denied that its actions in Gaza amount to genocide and says they are warranted as a means of protection.
Its diplomatic office called the UN report "misleading and inaccurate".
