There are new reports from the Middle East every minute. There is war - in Lebanon, in Israel and, of course, in Palestine. The Gaza Strip, Beirut, but also Tel Aviv - the current situation is impossible to assess. How can football be played in such a situation? In most places, not at all. We take a look at football in the Middle East and how things can continue.

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Script:
Lebanon: On 24 September, the Football Federation of Lebanon published a statement announcing that all football matches at national level would be suspended indefinitely. The domestic league had only just started with the first match day, the second match day was then scheduled for last weekend, but these games have now been cancelled for the time being. What happens next will of course depend on how the conflicts develop. The clubs and especially the stadiums are of course currently also in demand as social meeting points for people who have had to leave their homes.

Palestine: Football in Palestine, i.e. in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, has long since come to a standstill. The horrors of war naturally do not allow for regular football operations. The last season started in July 2023 and was suspended indefinitely on 6 October 2023. Play has not yet resumed. The largest stadium in Gaza City, the Palestine Stadium, was hit by Israeli air strikes and has not been usable since then. There are even media reports that the remains of the stadium have been turned into a prison. Although the national team can continue to play its matches, a national league is out of the question under the current circumstances. There are also currently no regular matches taking place in the West Bank.

Israel: The new season of the Israeli Premier League has been underway since August and the conflicts have not yet had a major impact on the sporting competition. However, some league matches have to be played without spectators, for example the match between Hapoel Hadera and Ironi Kiryat Shmona on 5 October will be played without spectators in the stands. A match on 1 October had to be cancelled due to the threat situation. Beitar Jerusalem were due to host Maccabi Haifa at the Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem, but the game was postponed. A regular match day is now scheduled for the weekend, but cancellations and postponements are of course possible at short notice. The teams in the north of the country in particular will probably not be able to return to normality any time soon.