SOCCER
What did UEFA say about postponed Kosovo vs Israel clash?
After days of shocking conflict in the region the Israeli government has not authorised the team to travel to Pristina.
The European Championships qualifier between Kosovo and Israel has been postponed amid continued violence in and around Israeli territory.
The Israeli government has not authorised the squad to travel to the Kosovan capital of Pristina for Saturday’s game, UEFA has announced. A new date for the fixture will be announced “in due course”, according to European soccer’s governing body. Israel are currently third in Group I, one point behind Romania and three behind the group leader Switzerland.
Thousands of people have died in less than a week since the conflict around the disputed Gaza Strip burst back into life.
Last Saturday Israel announced a national state of war after heavily armed Hamas fighters attacked Israeli-held towns bordering the Gaza Strip. So far 1,300 deaths have been recorded in Israeli territory, according to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation. The Gaza Ministry of Health reports that the subsequent bombings have caused at least 1,200 deaths in Palestine.
UEFA sends public letter to Israeli soccer federation
The news of the Kosovo-Israel fixture suspension comes as no surprise. The violence seen in the region in the recent days exceeds anything witnessed in the preceding decades and appeared to catch Israeli authorities and the wider world completely by surprise.
Soccer has not yet provided a unified response on the deeply nuanced conflict, other than to offer condolences to the civilians caught up in the fighting. On Thursday, after the fixture’s suspension was officially announced, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin issued a public statement to Moshe Zuares, president of the IFA.
Ceferin wrote: “On behalf of UEFA and the European football community, I am writing to express our profound sorrow upon learning about the tragic acts of violence that occurred last week in Israel, resulting in the loss of innocent lives.”
“My heart goes out to all the victims and their families during these difficult times. It is an unimaginable tragedy, and the pain and sorrow are profound and resonate across the entire football community.”