FIFA chief Gianni Infantino declared that the international football governing body "is not able to solve political problems" as calls increase on football organizations to take action against the Israeli state.
A latest United Nations investigative panel determined last month that Israel has carried out genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Israel's participation in soccer was not included as a official topic on the schedule of a FIFA council meeting held on the most recent Thursday.
However, Infantino addressed the subject in his opening remarks for the gathering at FIFA's main office in Zurich.
The mid-fifties leader said FIFA was committed to "using the influence of football" to "unite people together in a divided world".
"Our concerns are with those who are enduring hardship in the many conflicts 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 problems, but it has the ability to and should advance football around the world by harnessing its connecting, educational, societal and humanitarian principles."
Israel's national team is presently participating in European qualifiers for next year's World Cup tournament, while the team Maccabi Tel Aviv are taking part in the Europa League.
Amnesty International has urged FIFA, which organizes the World Cup, and UEFA, which organizes continental events, to ban the Israel's football body from their competitions.
FIFA vice-president Victor Montagliani stated on Wednesday that European football's governing body should take the necessary action.
"Primarily, [Israel] is a member of UEFA, similar to I have to deal with a participant of my region for whatever reason. They have to deal with that," he said.
The Israeli team are in third place in their qualification pool - managed by UEFA - six points behind leaders Norway.
The group winner from each pool qualifies directly for the competition, with the second-place teams going into the knockout rounds.
The 2026 tournament is being jointly hosted by the US, Mexico and the Canadian country.
The US president Donald Trump's administration has pledged to fight any attempts to block the Israeli team from participating.
The United Nations findings said there were sufficient evidence to determine the majority of atrocities specified under international law had been carried out by Israeli forces in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict in 2023.
A group of rights specialists at the UN subsequently called on FIFA and UEFA to remove the Israeli squad from international football, stating: "Sports must reject the perception that it is normal operations."
Israel has regularly rejected that its operations in the territory constitute mass killing and says they are warranted as a method of self-defence.
Its diplomatic office called the UN report "misleading and inaccurate".
