By Associated Press - Friday, October 14, 2016

ZURICH (AP) - FIFA has extended the work of its panel mediating between Israeli and Palestinian soccer officials, and declined to act against clubs based in Israeli West Bank settlements.

Panel chairman Tokyo Sexwale says his monitoring group will meet by the end of November.

The South African official briefed the FIFA Council on Friday and hopes to present a final report at a Jan. 9-10 meeting in Zurich.

Sexwale, a former FIFA presidential candidate, says “we are almost working in the area of extra time.”

The Palestinian federation has long urged FIFA to punish the Israeli federation, and wants settlement clubs declared illegal. FIFA rules bar members from organizing games on another federation’s territory without permission.

Disputed issues also include travel delays for Palestinian players and opponents caused by Israeli security restrictions.

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