UEFA postpone Israel’s Euro 2024 qualifier due to ongoing war

UEFA has postponed all matches scheduled to take place in Israel over the next two weeks after the escalation of violence in the region.

The war has left at least 700 people dead so far. 

Israel were set to face Switzerland on Thursday in European Championship qualifying Group I but the match at Tel Aviv’s Bloomfield Stadium will not take place. 

The nation’s European Under-21 Championship qualifiers against Estonia and Germany on October 12 and 17 respectively have also been postponed.

The European football’s governing body has also called a halt to an Under-17 mini-tournament involving Israel, Belgium, Gibraltar, and Wales, due to run from Wednesday until October 17.

UEFA said: ‘UEFA will continue to closely monitor the situation and will remain in contact with all teams involved before making decisions on new dates and on potential changes to other upcoming fixtures.

‘UEFA will take the coming days to assess whether Israel can take part in their Euro 2024 qualifier against Kosovo in Prishtina.’

Militants fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza and sent fighters across the border, with a festival near Kibbutz Re’im, close to the Gaza Strip, stormed and revellers killed and taken hostage.

Israel declared war on Sunday, following an attack by Hamas militants. 

Israel said it was on a war footing and began its own strikes against Hamas targets in Gaza, with Israeli media reporting gunbattles between bands of Palestinian fighters and security forces in southern Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that his country would take ‘mighty vengeance for this black day’ as warplanes launched a retaliatory strikes against Hamas.