Poland, Israel Under-21 players refuse to play first minute at Euro Qualifying

Poland and Israel players declined to play the first minute of their European Under-21 Championship Qualifying match as a gesture of solidarity with the victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.

According to media reports, soccer's governing body UEFA, did not approve the minute of silence on Friday. Reuters has contacted UEFA for a comment.

Hosts Poland won the game 2-1.

Israeli forces have attacked Gaza for weeks in retaliation for the assault by Hamas militants on southern Israel. Israel says Hamas killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages. Gaza health authorities say more than 12,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli counteroffensive.

Israel sit at the bottom of Group D after two defeats in as many games, while Poland leads, having won all of their four.

Israeli clubs Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv will play their next home fixtures in Serbia behind closed doors after their European campaigns came to a halt due to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

(This story has been corrected to say Friday instead of Thursday in paragraph 2)