The Israel-Gaza crisis has disrupted preparations by the Palestinian team for their 2026 World Cup qualifier against Lebanon, but the players are determined to put on a good showing, a team official and player said.

“Everything changed after October 7 with the start of the conflict in Gaza,” Palestine Football Association (PFA) media manager Ahmed Rajoub told the National media outlet, Reuters reports.

“All sporting activities stopped completely in Palestine, and the football team was forced to move to Jordan. The first real training for the national team … took place on Monday in Sharjah four days ago.”

“We had some training sessions in Jordan, and in the absence of Gazan players, this was not enough to prepare for an ideal match in the qualifiers.”

Rajoub said the situation in Gaza was weighing heavily on the players. “We just can’t get the players focused on the game when people are killed and injured every day since the conflict started,” he said.

Read the full report here.