GFA withdraws from under 17 UEFA championship group matches in Israel

Gibraltar FA have today announced that they have withdrawn their U17s from competing in the U17 group matches which were due to take place in Israel.
In a statement issued this morning, just hours before their departure to Israel the Gibraltar FA stated “The Gibraltar Football Association has withdrawn its Under 17 Men’s National Team from its UEFA Under 17 Championship Qualifiers Group in Israel, given the circumstances that have taken place over night in the region.
“The safety of our young footballers alongside the coaching staff and backroom team is of paramount importance.
“The Gibraltar FA is in discussions with UEFA, and the Football Associations of Wales, Belgium and Israel to explore alternate options for the qualifying group to be played later on in the year.”
Gibraltar were due to play their first match against Belgium on October 11 and would have faced Israel three days after. With Wales their final match on October 17th. This would have seen the team staying in Israel for over a week.