10-10-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) The Palestine national football team has withdrawn from a scheduled tournament in Malaysia due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas militants, as announced by the Malaysian football association on Tuesday.
Israel is currently facing an unprecedented attack by Hamas militants who infiltrated the Gaza border under a barrage of rocket fire last Saturday, resulting in the tragic loss of more than 900 lives. In response, Israel has imposed a total siege on the coastal enclave and is conducting a massive air and artillery bombardment of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, leading to the death of at least 687 people thus far.
The tense situation and escalating conflict prompted the Palestinian team to cancel their participation in the Merdeka Cup friendly tournament, which was scheduled to be held in Kuala Lumpur. The opening match of the tournament, featuring Palestine and Tajikistan, set for Friday, has been canceled as a result of their withdrawal.
The Merdeka Cup, which was originally slated to run until October 17, will now proceed with only three teams participating. Tajikistan, who will receive a bye to the final, will be joined by the national teams of Malaysia and India.
Despite their withdrawal from the tournament, the Palestine team is gearing up for World Cup qualifiers against Australia and Lebanon next month. Additionally, they have secured qualification for the regional Asian Cup tournament set to take place in Qatar in January.
This withdrawal from a football event further highlights the devastating impact of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and its repercussions on international activities and relations.
