By DANIELLA MATAR, Associated Press

UDINE, Italy (AP) — Snipers were on the roof of the Israel team hotel in Udine and the Italian city is on maximum alert ahead of a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.

The Israel team bus was escorted to the stadium by 13 police vehicles, including some from the special forces, and several motorbikes.

The sound of helicopters surveilling the city has filled the air since the morning, hours before Italy’s match against Israel was set to kick off at Stadio Friuli. Drones could also be spotted in the sky.

The match has been placed in the highest risk category despite a breakthrough ceasefire deal that has paused two years of war in Gaza.

In the city center, around 10,000 people attended a pro-Palestinian march, which stayed incident free for nearly three

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