BEIRUT: The Lebanese Football Association (LFA) has postponed all football matches in its affiliated tournaments after Israel struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah targeted military facilities in northern Israel on Tuesday.

Lebanese authorities said 558 people were killed and 1,835 were wounded after overnight airstrikes, with tens of thousands fleeing to safety amid increased fears of a full-blown war.

“Due to the current situation in the country, the executive committee of the Lebanese Football Association has decided to postpone matches of all tournaments to a date to be determined later,” the LFA said on Tuesday.

The Lebanese Premier League’s 2024-25 season kicked off last week, while the country’s national team has not played in the country since last year, hosting the home legs of World Cup qualifiers in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Palestine have also staged their recent home matches abroad in Kuwait and Qatar, while Israel are hosting their Nations League home games in Hungary.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2024