Israel arrested a Palestinian soccer player en route from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip to the West Bank, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) said on Thursday.

"This is an Israeli piracy targeting sport in Palestine," the PFA said in a statement, adding that "We call on the FIFA to press the Israeli authorities to release al-Sarsak immediately."

Mahmoud al-Sarsak, 22, a Gaza-based player and a member of the national team, was detained late Wednesday at Erez crossing point between Gaza and Israel, a source in the PFA told Xinhua.

Two of his colleagues have been turned back to Gaza, said the source on condition of anonymity.

The three were on their way to the West Bank to play for Balataclub in Nablus town. The PFA said it had contacted with Israel in advance to allow the players to cross.

The PFA said Israeli intelligence officers interrogated al-Sarsak and other players for eight hours at the crossing and then detained al-Sarsak.

Meanwhile, relatives of al-Sarsak confirmed the arrest, saying they have received a phone call from the Israeli army Thursday telling them that al-Sarsak was under detention in a prison at Ashkelon town.

(Xinhua News Agency July 24, 2009)