Former Hapoel Petah Tikva Player Mark Costa Reflects on Living in Fear During Israel Conflict

Mark Costa, a former player for Hapoel Petah Tikva, recently spoke about his experience living in Israel amid the ongoing conflict. Having left the Israeli club during the summer to join Vasas Budapest in Hungary, Costa shared in an interview how the war affected him and his family. He described the first week of the war as agonizing and recalled taking an evacuation flight out of Israel with his wife, only to return a week later after reaching an agreement with his team. Costa emphasized the constant fear they lived with, noting that whenever sirens sounded, they would rush to bomb shelters, whether at home or during training sessions. Although Israel's Iron Dome intercepted many rockets, some still caused damage, maintaining a pervasive sense of danger. Despite the tension, Costa expressed that before the war, he and his team felt very positive about their progress, having just been promoted and reaching the upper playoff rounds in the Israeli Premier League.