close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

news

Israel sends rescue planes after football fans reportedly attacked in Amsterdam | The Netherlands

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered two rescue planes to be sent to Amsterdam following “a very violent incident” targeting Israeli civilians, his office said, after attacks linked to a football match were reported.

Israel’s Ministry of National Security has called on its citizens in the Dutch city to stay in their hotel rooms, the prime minister’s office said in a second statement.

“Fans who went to see a football match were met with anti-Semitism and attacked with unimaginable brutality simply because of their Jewishness and Israeliness,” Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a post on X.

Local police said 57 people had been detained after the match because pro-Palestinian demonstrators had tried to reach the Johan Cruyff Stadium, even though the city had banned them from protesting there.

Police said fans left the stadium without incident, but several clashes were reported in the city center throughout the night.

The Israeli army said on Friday it was preparing to immediately deploy a rescue mission coordinated by the Dutch government after the football match, in which Ajax Amsterdam defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 5-0.

“The mission will be deployed using cargo aircraft and will include medical and rescue teams,” the military said.

Video on social media showed crowds of people running through the streets and a man being beaten. The Guardian has not confirmed the veracity of the videos.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar asked the Dutch government in a telephone conversation with his Dutch counterpart Caspar Veldkamp on Friday to help Israeli citizens arrive safely at the airport.

In a tweet, US anti-Semitism envoy Deborah Lipstadt said she was “deeply disturbed” by the attacks and called for an investigation.