Palestine strike but well beaten by Iran at Asian Cup

The match in Qatar coincided with the 100th day of the Israel-Hamas war, the grim milestone adding extra significance to an occasion that went beyond football.

Palestinian flags were scattered among the crowd of nearly 28,000 at Education City Stadium, one of the venues for the 2022 World Cup, and their consolation goal just before half-time got the biggest cheer of the night.

Loud cries went up for the Palestinian anthem before the game and the team's players put their arms around each other's shoulders. A brief moment's silence was held before kick-off, the quiet punctuated by cries of "free Palestine".

Captain Musab Al-Battat said on the eve of the game that the players were determined to "put a smile on the faces of the Palestinian people" despite the team's difficult build-up.

Some players have lost loved ones in Israel's bombardment of the besieged, Hamas-run territory of Gaza, a response to Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel. The Palestinian team have been forced to play matches and train overseas in the lead-up to their third Asian Cup.

The war began when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack which resulted in about 1,140 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an 'AFP' tally based on official figures.

Hamas, considered a "terrorist" group by the United States and the European Union, also seized about 250 hostages, 132 of whom Israel says remain in Gaza, including at least 25 believed to have been killed.

Israel launched a relentless military campaign that has killed at least 23,968 people in the Palestinian territory, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry.

Palestine were chasing a first victory in their seventh attempt in the Asian Cup. But they were behind after little over