By Victor Kanayo
European soccer body UEFA has announced a postponement of all matches meant to be played in Israel as tension rises in the area.
This was disclosed by UEFA in an official statement.
Part of the statement reads, “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 said Israel’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Switzerland on Thursday is among matches postponed “in light of the current security situation”.
The continental football authority said it will assess the situation over the coming days to see whether Israel’s European Championship qualifier in Kosovo can still take place on 15 October.
Israeli Premier League champions Maccabi Haifa are playing in the Europa League this season and are due to visit Villarreal following the international break.
Their next home game in the competition is scheduled for November 7, 2023, against the Spanish side.
There are other matches involving Israel in the 2024 European Championship qualifier in all categories.
UEFA said new dates will be scheduled for the postponed fixtures.
More than 600 Israelis have been killed in attacks from Gaza since Saturday, the government said.
