Basketball Ireland have issued a statement expressing concern over the ongoing crisis in Gaza, as they consider withdrawing from the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2027 qualifiers after being drawn in a group with Israel.
At present, the governing body has spoken with FIBA Europe and are awaiting further clarification.
"Basketball Ireland is extremely alarmed by the ongoing humanitarian situation in Gaza," they outlined in a press release on Wednesday.
"And as such we are assessing our next steps following today's FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2027 Qualifiers draw, which saw Ireland drawn in Group A alongside Israel, in addition to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Luxembourg."
This draw echoes a similar lottery that saw the Irish women's basketball team participate against Israel during the Women's EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers in November 2024. This fixture was met with protest from the Irish players who refused to shake hands with their opponents.
Should Ireland fail to participate in their first away qualifier against Israel, they will be subject to a fine of up to €80,000. Subsequently, failure to take part in their return fixture against Israel will result in a fine of up to €100,000 and removal from the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2027 Qualifiers and the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2029 Qualifiers.
If Ireland elects to withdraw from the Women's EuroBasket 2027 qualifying campaign altogether before it starts, they would be applied a fine of up to €30,000.
Additionally, FIBA Europe rules state that they "may impose additional sanctions according to the FIBA Internal Regulations - Book 1 - General Provisions (Chapter 6)" which is concerned with 'disqualification from a competition in progress and/or exclusion from future competitions'.
