England’s Football Association has announced that a period of silence will be held before their match against Australia at Wembley Stadium on Friday, to honour the victims of the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine. Over 1,200 people have been killed since fighting erupted on October 7, when the militant group, Hamas, launched a surprise attack into Israel from Gaza.

In response to the attacks, Israel has conducted strikes into Gaza, resulting in over 1,300 deaths. Additionally, the flow of vital supplies like food, water, medicine and fuel into Gaza has been halted. The FA called the situation a “humanitarian crisis” and said the pre-match tribute is to remember the “innocent victims” on both sides.

Players from both teams will wear black armbands during the match to mark the loss of life. The FA also announced it will only allow flags and other national symbols of England and Australia inside the stadium, to prevent escalation of tensions. Many partners and stakeholders were consulted leading up to this decision.

Additionally, the British Red Cross has launched an emergency appeal to aid those impacted by the conflict. The FA stated it will promote this appeal within Wembley Stadium on Friday, to encourage donations from attendees.

Recently, UEFA postponed all upcoming matches involving the Israeli national team due to the unstable security circumstances. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has also asked major British sports organizations to acknowledge the humanitarian crisis. Similar gestures were made in response to recent tragedies like the 2015 Paris attacks.

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