European football's governing body, UEFA, has made a decisive move in response to the recent unexpected attack by Hamas in Israel.
"Amid the current tumultuous security climate in Israel, UEFA has taken the unprecedented step of postponing all scheduled matches in the nation for the next two weeks," UEFA announced in a statement issued on Sunday.
This sweeping decision encompasses several high-stakes fixtures, most notably the Euro 2024 Championship qualifying clash between Israel and Switzerland, which was slated to take place this Thursday at Tel Aviv's iconic Bloomfield Stadium.
UEFA has pledged vigilance, committing to closely monitoring the evolving situation and maintaining open channels of communication with all affected teams.
These measures will inform forthcoming decisions regarding rescheduled dates and the possibility of altering other fixtures on the calendar.
But the ripple effect extends further into Israel's European football ambitions.
The Euro 2024 qualifier against Kosovo, scheduled for Oct. 15, now hangs in the balance, with UEFA reserving a few more days for careful assessment before determining its fate.
Young talents, too, feel the impact as Israel's European Under-21 Championship qualifiers against Estonia and Germany, originally set for Thursday and Oct. 17, respectively, are also caught in the postponement wave.
Simultaneously, an eagerly awaited U17 mini-tournament involving Israel, Belgium, Gibraltar and Wales, originally slated to kick off this Wednesday and extend to Oct. 17, faces a similar fate.
The reasoning behind these deferrals is rooted in the unstable security landscape that has engulfed Israel in the wake of a surprise attack by Hamas.
Just the day before UEFA's announcement, Hamas launched an assault on Israel from the Gaza Strip, resulting in a devastating toll of over 1,000 casualties and thousands more injuries.
Tragically, Gaza too bore witness to the loss of over 400 lives.
UEFA has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety and integrity of the sport in this trying time, emphasizing the need to find suitable alternatives for these postponed matches.
Furthermore, UEFA will be closely evaluating whether Israel's upcoming fixture in Kosovo on Oct. 15 can proceed as initially planned.
The ramifications of this conflict have extended beyond football's realm, with other sports also bearing the brunt.
The Eurocup basketball clash between Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv and Wolves Vilnius, slated for Oct. 11, along with the Euroleague game between Playtika Tel Aviv and EA/ Emporio Armani Milan on the following day, have been indefinitely postponed.
Euroleague Basketball, deeply concerned about the situation, is actively exploring options for rescheduling these matchups in consultation with the affected teams.
Even handball has not been spared, as the forthcoming women's Euro 2024 qualifiers pitting Slovakia against Israel and Israel against Germany have been shelved due to what the governing body EHF refers to as "the terrible developments in Israel."
