The Palestine football team has withdrawn from a tournament in Malaysia

It had been scheduled to compete in the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia from 13-17 October.

Reuters reports the Football Association of Malaysia said in a statement: “The Palestinian team had to withdraw from participating because they could not fly to Kuala Lumpur due to the tense situation in the country at the moment.”

Israel vs Switzerland Postponed

Israel’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Switzerland, which was due to be played on Thursday, has already been postponed.

Gaza’s health ministry has put Palestinian casualty figures as at least 687 killed and 3,726 wounded by Israeli airstrikes since Saturday.

According to media reports and witnesses’ accounts, apartment blocks, a mosque and hospitals were among the sites attacked, with some roads and houses destroyed.

Reuters reports Israel also bombed the headquarters of the private Palestinian Telecommunication company, which could affect landline telephone, internet and mobile phone services in the blockaded enclave.

The Israeli military claims it hit targets in the Gaza Strip from the sea and air, including a weapons depot it said belonged to Islamic Jihad, and Hamas targets along Gaza’s coastline.

The Hamas spokesperson Abu Ubaida issued a threat on Monday to kill Israelis among those held captive after the surprise Saturday morning attack. Reuters reports he said Hamas would kill an Israeli captive for every Israeli bombing of a civilian house without warning, and broadcast the murder. There was no immediate response from the Israeli military to that specific threat.