All eyes were on Morocco at the last World Cup. Now, Palestinian national team wants a slice of the action at 2026 tournament

By Dalya Al Masri, CNN

Updated 1624 GMT (0024 HKT) February 23, 2023

(CNN)The Palestinian team has never taken part in a World Cup tournament, but the territory's presence was very much in evidence at Qatar 2022.

Fans interrupted press interviews shouting «free Palestine,» while some Moroccan players held up the Palestinian flag after their historic quarterfinal win against Portugal, making the Atlas Lions the first African and Arab team to reach the semifinals.The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a constant source of tension in the Middle East since the State of Israel's creation in 1948, only made more tense after Israel's capture of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem in 1967. Since the State of Israel's creation — in what Palestinians call the «Nakba» and Israelis call Independence Day — clashes have been frequent. Rami Hamadeh plays for the Palestianian national team against Jordan at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, AFC Asian Cup. «Nakba» means catastrophe in Arabic, evoking a period which saw approximately 700,000 Palestinians flee or be forced to leave their homes in what became Israel.Read More«The Israeli occupation doesn't just affect me, but affects… Palestinian sports in general,» the Palestinian team's goalkeeper Rami Hamadeh told CNN Sports. «Whether it's players being arrested or killed. Regardless of these restrictions, we are able to achieve our goals and perform well, and this shows in our 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification.» One such player was the 23-year-old Ahmed Daraghmeh. Palestinian officials said Daraghmeh, a local football player from the city of Tubas near Nablus, was fatally shot by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in 2022, according to Reuters. Hamas,