Football hooligans attack Israeli fans during riots in Amsterdam

Dutch police arrested 62 people in Amsterdam, five were taken to hospital due to riots surrounding the football match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The two sides went head-to-head at the Johan Cruyff Arena, with Ajax winning 5-0. The first arrests took place hours before the game, when Israeli fans gathered in the city center.

Then there were more arrests during a planned demonstration against the arrival of Tel Aviv players, and after the match hooligans attacked Israeli fans.

Footage shared on social media shows soccer fans removing the Palestinian flag in the center of Amsterdam. You can also hear anti-Arab shouts.

Other videos show mobs running through the streets and beating the man.

Dutch police said they were aware of reports of a possible hostage situation, but had no confirmation that it actually happened. According to them, several people who were considered missing have now been found.

The Israeli army initially said it would send two planes to Amsterdam on a rescue mission to help its citizens, but later “decided it was not necessary.”

“The mission will be deployed with the help of cargo planes and will include medical and rescue teams,” the Israel Defense Forces said.

Maccabi fans gathered in Dame Square in the afternoon before the match and around 10 people were arrested for criminal offences, including public disorder, police said.

Meanwhile, a planned pro-Palestinian demonstration took place in Place Anton de Complein, about a 15-minute walk from the Johan Cruyff Arena. The local authorities forbade the organizers to hold a demonstration on the spot.

Part of this group tried to descend to the ground, but they were stopped by the police, who threw firecrackers.

About 30 people were arrested in and around the arena, most of them for disorderly conduct and carrying or lighting fireworks, the statement added.

Police said fans left the arena without incident after the match, but clashes were reported in the city center overnight.

A video posted on social media shows a mob running through the streets and beating the man.

This was reported in Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Friday morning Prime Minister of Israel was briefed on the details of a “very violent incident” in Amsterdam.

IsraelThe Ministry of National Security of Russia called on its citizens in the Dutch city to stay in hotels, the prime minister’s office added.

Israel’s security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said in a post on X: “Fans who went to watch a soccer match faced anti-Semitism and suffered incredible brutality just because of their Jewishness and Israeliness.”

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said in a post on X that he was “disgusted by the news from Amsterdam.”

He added that he had spoken to Mr Netanyahu about the incident and said the city was now “calm”.