More changes to Mbappé face mask as France star's Euro 2024 problems persist

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Kylian Mbappé has had more masks than goals at the European Championship.

The France captain is struggling with his peripheral vision in the masks that were fitted to protect his broken nose from his country's opening game at Euro 2024.

He wore a third different mask on Monday in the 1-0 win against Belgium in the round of 16. The striker failed to hit the target in five attempts on goal against Belgium.

He has only one goal in the tournament.

“You’ve got the sweat aspect and we know sweat can get in his eyes. He’s getting used to it, but it can affect his vision," coach Didier Deschamps said. “Everything in front of him is fine, but there’s a delay with his peripheral vision.”

Mbappé broke his nose in an aerial collision with Austria's Kevin Danso, and has described the mask-wearing experience as “an absolute horror.”

His only score so far was a penalty against Poland. “I saw people but I had the feeling it was not me that was playing,” he said after that game.

Mbappé was initially fitted with a custom-made mask that was designed in the colors of the French flag. But UEFA rules state protective equipment has to be a single color, and he switched to an all black version against Poland.

He changed it again for the knockout game against Belgium with a version that appeared to be more custom-cut to the contours of his face. It also had more ventilation than his previous masks and was held on with one strap, rather than two.

But it didn't seem to make a lot of difference, with Mbappé's shooting often wide of the mark.

It could be a problem for Real Madrid if Mbappé still requires a mask at the start of next season after he completed a move to the Spanish giant last month.

Before that, Mbappé and France have a quarterfinal against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal on Friday.

It is the first time World Cup winner Mbappé has gone this far at a Euros after France lost in the last 16 in 2021 to Switzerland after a penalty shootout.

James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024

FILE - Kylian Mbappe of France receives a treatment after suffering an injury during a Group D match between Austria and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, on June 17, 2024. Kylian Mbappé has had more masks than goals at Euro 2024. Widely regarded as the heir to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as soccer's biggest icon, the France striker is struggling with his peripheral vision due to the protective face covering he has been fitted with since breaking his nose at the start of the European Championship. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

FILE - Kylian Mbappe of France holds his nose after suffering an injury during a Group D match between Austria and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, on June 17, 2024. Kylian Mbappé has had more masks than goals at Euro 2024. Widely regarded as the heir to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as soccer's biggest icon, the France striker is struggling with his peripheral vision due to the protective face covering he has been fitted with since breaking his nose at the start of the European Championship. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

FILE - Kylian Mbappe of France adjusts his mask after scoring a penalty kick during a Group D match between the France and Poland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, on June 25, 2024. Kylian Mbappé has had more masks than goals at Euro 2024. Widely regarded as the heir to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as soccer's biggest icon, the France striker is struggling with his peripheral vision due to the protective face covering he has been fitted with since breaking his nose at the start of the European Championship. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

FILE - France's Kylian Mbappe gestures as he adjusts his face mask during a training session in Paderborn, Germany, on June 27, 2024. Kylian Mbappé has had more masks than goals at Euro 2024. Widely regarded as the heir to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as soccer's biggest icon, the France striker is struggling with his peripheral vision due to the protective face covering he has been fitted with since breaking his nose at the start of the European Championship. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

FILE - France's Kylian Mbappe adjusts his face mask during a training session in Leipzig, Germany, on June 20, 2024. Kylian Mbappé has had more masks than goals at Euro 2024. Widely regarded as the heir to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as soccer's biggest icon, the France striker is struggling with his peripheral vision due to the protective face covering he has been fitted with since breaking his nose at the start of the European Championship. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

FILE - Kylian Mbappe of France adjusts his face mask as the team warms-up before the Group D match between the Netherlands and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Leipzig, Germany, on June 21, 2024. Kylian Mbappé has had more masks than goals at Euro 2024. Widely regarded as the heir to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as soccer's biggest icon, the France striker is struggling with his peripheral vision due to the protective face covering he has been fitted with since breaking his nose at the start of the European Championship.(AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

FILE - Kylian Mbappe of France wears a face mask during a round of sixteen match between France and Belgium at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, on July 1, 2024. Kylian Mbappé has had more masks than goals at Euro 2024. Widely regarded as the heir to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as soccer's biggest icon, the France striker is struggling with his peripheral vision due to the protective face covering he has been fitted with since breaking his nose at the start of the European Championship.(AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel's Cabinet was set to convene Thursday to discuss Hamas' latest response to a U.S.-backed proposal for a phased cease-fire in Gaza, as diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the nine-month war stirred back to life after a weekslong hiatus.

Fighting, meanwhile, intensified between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, with the militant group saying it fired more than 200 rockets and exploding drones into northern Israel to avenge the killing of a senior commander in an Israeli airstrike the day before.

The relatively low-level conflict has literally set the border ablaze and raised fears of a potentially even more devastating war in the Middle East. Hezbollah has said it will halt its attacks if there is a cease-fire between Hamas — a fellow Iran-backed ally — and Israel.

The United States has rallied world support behind a plan that would see the release of all of the scores of hostages still held by the militant group in return for a lasting truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. But until now, neither side appears to have fully embraced it.

Hamas suggested “amendments” to the proposal last month, some of which the U.S. said were unworkable, without providing specifics. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that the original proposal was an Israeli one, but has raised doubts over whether it would end the war — a key Hamas demand.

Hamas confirmed Wednesday that it had sent another response to Egypt and Qatar, which are mediating the talks, without providing details. A U.S. official said the Biden administration was examining the response, calling it constructive but saying more work needed to be done. The official, who wasn't authorized to comment publicly, spoke on condition of anonymity.

An Israeli official said Netanyahu would convene a Cabinet meeting Thursday to discuss the latest developments surrounding the negotiations. The official, who wasn't authorized to discuss the meeting with media, spoke on condition of anonymity. Israel would likely hold additional consultations before making a final decision on any amended proposal.

As cease-fire talks appeared to be gaining new steam, the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll in the war had climbed past 38,000.

Hamas political official Bassem Naim said that the group has neither accepted nor rejected the American proposal, and has “responded with some ideas to bridge the gap” between the two sides, without elaborating. Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas' top political leader, has shared suggestions with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish officials, the group said in a statement late Wednesday.

U.S. officials have said the latest proposal has new language that was proposed to Egypt and Qatar on Saturday and addresses indirect negotiations that are set to commence during the first phase of the three-phase deal that U.S. President Joe Biden laid out in a May 31 speech.

The first phase calls for a “full and complete cease-fire,” a withdrawal of Israeli forces from all densely populated areas of Gaza and the release of a number of hostages, including women, older people and the wounded, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

The proposal called for the parties to negotiate the terms of the second phase during the 42 days of phase one. Under the current proposal, Hamas could release all of the remaining men, both civilians and soldiers, during the second phase. In return, Israel could free an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. The releases wouldn't occur until “sustainable calm” takes effect and all Israeli troops withdraw from Gaza. The third phase would see the return of the remains of hostages.

The transition from the first to the second phase has appeared to be the main sticking point.

Hamas is concerned that Israel will restart the war after the first phase, perhaps after making unrealistic demands in the talks. Israeli officials have expressed concern that Hamas will do the same, drawing out the talks and the initial cease-fire indefinitely without releasing the remaining captives.

In a lengthy television interview last month, Netanyahu said that he was prepared to make a “partial deal,” but was committed to continuing the war “after a pause” in order to annihilate Hamas. Later, speaking before Israel's parliament, he said Israel remains committed to the deal outlined by Biden.

The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on Oct. 7 into southern Israel, attacking multiple army bases and farming communities and killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. They abducted another 250 people. more than 100 of whom were released during a weeklong cease-fire in November. Militants are still holding around 80 hostages and the remains of 40 others.

Israel launched a major offensive in response to the Oct. 7 attack that has killed more than 38,000, according to health officials in Gaza, who don't say how many were civilians or militants. The war has caused vast destruction across the territory, displaced most of its population of 2.3 million — often multiple times — caused widespread hunger and raised fears of famine.

Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Abby Sewell in Beirut and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Gaza at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Palestinians search for bodies and survivors in the rubble of a residential building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (AP Photo /Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians search for bodies and survivors in the rubble of a residential building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (AP Photo /Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians search for bodies and survivors in the rubble of a residential building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (AP Photo /Jehad Alshrafi)

Israel weighs Hamas' latest response to Gaza cease-fire proposal as diplomatic efforts are revived

Palestinians search for bodies and survivors in the rubble of a residential building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (AP Photo /Jehad Alshrafi)

Israel weighs Hamas' latest response to Gaza cease-fire proposal as diplomatic efforts are revived