The Shujaiyeh soccer club left its home turf in the Gaza Strip on Sunday morning and began the journey through Israel's Erez border crossing to the West Bank city of Hebron where it was scheduled to face off against the local team in a historical final match of the Palestine Cup games.
The game, between the Gaza team and West Bank champions Al-Ahly, will decide which of the two clubs will represent Palestine in the next Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup.
This is the first time Israel has permitted a Gaza-based club to travel to the West Bank since the blockade was imposed on the Strip following a violent takeover by Hamas. Initially the game was postponed indefinitely after Israel denied entry permits to four of the Gaza players.
Sources within the Palestinian Football Federation said the decision to allow the team and the four contested players - which Israel said it needed to question - to leave was reached as part of a comprise between Israel and the Palestinians over the latter's attempt to ban Israel from FIFA in May.
At the time, Israel made a commitment to allow freer movement of Palestinian sport personnel and Palestinian sport officials say such a commitment was now being tested.
The chairman of the Palestinian Football Association, Jibril Al-Rajoub, said on Thursday he had received a letter from FIFA's President Joseph Blatter saying he would work to remove obstacles that may hinder the holding of the final game.
The PFA has complained that Israel restricts the movement of players and officials to and from the Palestinian territories. Israel cites security concerns for the restrictions, although it says it has eased travel recently.
Sunday's championship was to be a follow-up of a match on Thursday between Al-Ahly, the top team in the West Bank and Gaza's champion Shujaiyeh.
The game, which took plae in Gaza, ended in a goal-less draw, had been the first such visit since a Palestinian uprising broke out in 2000.
Title : Gaza Soccer Club Makes Way to West Bank for Palestine Cup Final
Description : The Shujaiyeh soccer club left its home turf in the Gaza Strip on Sunday morning and began the journey through Israel's Erez border cr...