The camp in Doha will serve as a foundation to galvanise the squad under new head coach.
The Palestinian national football team is set to gather in Doha for a camp ahead of the next round of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying matches against Jordan and Iraq.
The “gathering” will consist of the new coaching team and the “first contingent of players”, according to Palestinian football outlet Football Palestine.
Doha was picked as the venue largely due to the players’ proximity, since a large number of players expected to make it to the final squad currently ply their trades in Libya, Jordan and Qatar.
New manager Ehab Abu Jazar with his coaching team will begin the proceedings this week following their arrival in Doha, the outlet added.
Eight Palestinian players expected to be called up are currently playing in the Qatar Stars League, including national team captain Musab Battat.
Battat and Milad Termanini play for Qatar Stars League side Al Wakrah, alongside the likes of Alaa Aldeen Hassan of Al Arabi, Ataa Jaber of Qatar SC, Yaser Hamed Mayor of Al Gharafa and the Al Rayyan duo of Amid Mahajna and Mohammed Saleh.
Palestinian goalkeeper Rami Hamadeh, who has been a crucial cog in the national team lately, currently represents second division Qatari side Al Markhiya.
Qatar-based players will be able to attend tactical team meetings but will have to seek their club’s permission before participating in the training sessions.
Palestine will play under Abu Jazar for the first time against Jordan on March 20 in Amman.
The 44-year-old was appointed in December last year, replacing Makram Daboub, who coached Palestine to a historic Asian Cup 2023 knockouts in Qatar last year.
Under Daboub, the side also secured their first ever berth in the third round of the World Cup Qualifiers, salvaging points against heavyweights South Korea both home and away.
While Abu Jazar’s core is expected to look similar to the former head coach’s side, the new hire hinted at new call-ups in an interview last month.
“We contacted all players, whether their names are circulated in the media or not, to represent the national team,” Abu Jazar said in an interview published by the Palestine Football Association.
“Every Palestinian player in all corners of the earth has the right to represent his country’s national team, the Football Federation and the national team welcome them all,” he added.
One of such new call-ups is expected to be Dutch side NAC Breda’s Swedish-Palestinian winger Adam Kaied, who recently completed his citizenship switch.
New call-ups could also stem from the former U-23 and U-20 national sides, which Abu Jazar and his assistant Firas Abu Radwan oversaw previously.
Palestine will be playing for the first time since the pause of Israel’s onslaught on Gaza following a ceasefire in January, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the U.S.
Despite the truce, Palestine’s proposal to stage their home match against Iraq on March 25 at the Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium in the Al-Ram suburbs of Jerusalem became unsuccessful.
