Israeli Football Premier League Resumes Behind Closed Doors

Hapoel Petah Tikva: The Israeli football Premier League resumed after it was suspended on October 7, when the conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out.

The league returned with a first-round match, in which the reigning champions Maccabi Haifa beat Hapoel Petah Tikva 2-1 at the Sammy Ofer Stadium in the northern city of Haifa, reports Xinhua.

The match, played behind closed doors for security reasons, was originally scheduled for Aug. 26. It was then postponed due to Haifa's qualifying matches in the UEFA Champions League and rescheduled again due to the war.

The conflict stopped the league after the fifth round, and the sixth-round matches were rescheduled for December 2 and 3.

The Israeli basketball Super League, which was suspended after only one game of the first round, is scheduled to resume on November 28.