Maccabi Tel Aviv bosses Robbie Keane and Rory Delap ‘forced to flee Israel after spending hours in a panic room’ after Hamas militants launch attack on the country
- TalkSPORT reported that Keane and Delap have been evacuated to Greece
- Keane is Maccabi Tel Aviv’s head coach with Delap working as his assistant
Robbie Keane and Rory Delap were reportedly forced to flee Israel after the attack by Hamas militants.
Keane is currently the manager of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv with Delap working as his assistant.
TalkSPORT Report they were hidden in a panic room as thousands of rockets were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip before being evacuated to Greece.
Former Republic of Ireland striker Keane (43) was appointed head coach of the Israeli Premier League team in June.
His wife Claudine again posted a club statement by Maccabi on her Instagram Stories and wrote: ‘Stay safe everyone, I’m praying for you all.’
Maccabi Tel Aviv head coach Robbie Keane and his assistant Rory Delap reportedly fled Israel after the attack on the country by Hamas militants
Delap (pictured) and Keane took over from the Israeli Premier League club in June
Keane’s wife Claudine posted this message on her Instagram Stories on Saturday
The club message read: ‘The Maccabi Tel Aviv club, its managers, players and employees give strength to the security forces, the residents of the south and of all of Israel in these difficult times.
‘Please listen to the instructions of security forces and stay safe. Together we will win.’
Keane and Delap have enjoyed success since arriving. Maccabi are five games into the Israeli Premier League season at the top of the table, having won four, drawn one and lost none.
They also won a couple of domestic cup matches and successfully negotiated two qualifying rounds to reach the group stage of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
After defeating Icelandic side Breiðablik 3-2 in their group opener, Maccabi suffered a 2-0 defeat against Belgians Gent on Thursday.
They were due to play away at Hapoel Jerusalem on Sunday, but all football matches were postponed following the attack on Saturday.
Israeli forces struggled on Saturday to regain control of territory taken by Hamas fighters after they crossed the border from Gaza in a surprise attack.
Israeli forces launched retaliatory strikes on Gaza City after Hamas militants invaded their territory in the biggest escalation in decades
People assess the destruction caused by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on Saturday. Israel launched a counter-offensive against Hamas militants after a sneak attack that killed hundreds
Hamas claimed to have fired 5,000 rockets into Israel from the occupied Gaza Strip, setting off air raid sirens in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
According to reports, 300 Israeli civilians have been killed and dozens more taken hostage, following the biggest escalation in decades.
Palestinian officials said retaliatory Israeli airstrikes killed at least 313 people in the Gaza Strip with nearly 2,000 wounded.
Israel’s counter-offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip was well under way on Sunday morning after the deadliest day of violence in the region for 50 years.
Israeli warplanes bombed Gaza City in retaliatory strikes after Hamas’s shock attack, while artillery strikes were carried out in northern Lebanon after mortar fire from there was directed into Israeli territory.