Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered two planes to be sent to the Netherlands on Friday to bring fans home after violent clashes in Amsterdam.
Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on Sunday that “two rescue aircraft” were being dispatched to “immediately assist our citizens.”
The Prime Minister’s Office went on to say: “The brutal images of attacks on citizens of Amsterdam will not go unnoticed.”
“Prime Minister Netanyahu takes this shocking incident extremely seriously and demands that the Dutch government and security forces take strong and swift action against the rioters to ensure the safety of our citizens,” the statement read.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schof condemned the incident on X, saying he was “following the news from Amsterdam with horror. Anti-Semitic attacks against Israelis are completely unacceptable.”
The Dutch leader said he was in close communication with Netanyahu and stressed that those responsible would be “tracked and prosecuted.”
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the violent clashes left three Israelis missing and 10 others wounded, the extent of which was not yet clear on Friday morning.
What do we know about this incident?
Around 3,000 Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attended the club’s Europa League match away to Ajax in Amsterdam.
Even before the game, news of the potential conflict was circulating on social media and in the Israeli media.
A report in Dutch newspaper Telegraaf even reported that Mossad agents would accompany Maccabi Tel Aviv to the Netherlands due to the increased risk.
Tensions are also expected to be high, also because Turkish side Fenerbahce travel to AZ Alkmaar, just 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Amsterdam, and Turkish supporters are known to support the Palestinian cause.
Raz Amir, a reporter covering Maccabi Tel Aviv, said on Twitter that the attack was “pre-coordinated” based on testimonies he heard from supporters at the scene.
According to Amir, the attackers “knew where to wait (for the Maccabi supporters) and once they identified the Israelis, they would pounce on them with knives and bats.”
Post-game footage depicting the attack showed an Israeli being beaten and cornered by a group of young men dressed in black.
Before the game, clashes broke out between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and Dutch police.
Police later said hundreds of Maccabi fans gathered at Dam Square, where tensions were reportedly tense but later calmed down.
A pro-Palestinian rally to oppose the visit of an Israeli football club was originally planned to be held near the stadium but was canceled by the city government for security reasons.
Clashes broke out when some demonstrators tried to make their way to the stadium, but were stopped by riot police, who threw “heavy fireworks”.
Police said 57 people were arrested and police remained a presence in the city due to unrest.
In an earlier post by X, police said “currently unknown individuals” pulled a Palestinian flag from the front.
Maccabi fans advised to stay in hotel rooms
Maccabi Tel Aviv said in a statement that the team was in direct contact with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture and Sports “to help coordinate the return of fans in Amsterdam.”
The club warned its supporters to stay in their hotel rooms and warned supporters to avoid displaying Israeli or Jewish symbols.
