The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has announced it is postponing all matches scheduled to be played in Israel over the next couple of weeks due to the ongoing conflict in the country. The European soccer governing body announced the news in a statement on Sunday.
“In light of the current security situation in Israel, UEFA has decided to postpone all matches scheduled in Israel in the next couple of weeks with new dates to be confirmed in due course,” UEFA said in a statement.
Despite being located in the Middle East, Israel is a member of the European organization. They became a part of UEFA in 1991.
The matches affected include Thursday’s Euro 2024 qualifier between Israel and Switzerland, as well as Israel’s Euro Under-21 championship matches against Estonia and Germany. More matches could also be canceled or delayed, depending on how long the conflict lasts. As of now? Most experts believe there could be significant military action in the area for an extended time, so the schedule is secondary as of now.
“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,” the organization added in their statement.
According to a report from CNN, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has predicted a “long and difficult war”, and a military spokesperson hinted that Israel may try to take full control of Gaza for the first time since it unilaterally withdrew from the territory in 2005.
“Citizens of Israel, we are at war. Not in an operation, not in a round, in a war,” Netanyahu said in a public statement. “This morning, Hamas launched a murderous surprise attack against the State of Israel and its citizens. We’ve been at it since the early morning.”
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