Israeli soccer fans attacked in Amsterdam, authorities say

At least five people were injured and at least 62 people arrested in “violent incidents” in the Dutch capital Amsterdam, police said Friday, after what authorities in both countries said was violence targeting Israeli soccer fans.

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema’s office described the events following the Europa League match between Dutch giants Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv, which the hosts won 5-0, as “very turbulent, with several incidents of violence aimed at Maccabi supporters.”

Videos circulating on social media and geolocated by NBC News showed violence in the city’s streets. Video geolocated by NBC News also showed Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in Amsterdam singing “Death to the Arabs” and “Let the IDF win. We will f*** the Arabs,” as well as tearing down a Palestinian flag.

“In several places in the city, supporters were attacked,” the mayoral office said. Officials said police had to intervene several times and escort Israeli fans to their hotels. Several Israeli citizens remain unaccounted for in Amsterdam following the overnight violence, an Israeli official told NBC News.

“This outburst of violence toward Israeli supporters is unacceptable and cannot be defended in any way. There is no excuse for the antisemitic behavior exhibited last night by rioters who actively sought out Israeli supporters to attack and assault them,” it added.

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said he was “horrified by the antisemitic attacks on Israeli citizens.”

He described the violence as “completely unacceptable” and said he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone “to stress that the perpetrators will be identified and prosecuted.”

Israel’s embassy in Amsterdam said fans of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team were “ambushed and attacked” after a match in the city as “mobs chanted anti-Israel slogans and proudly shared videos of their violent acts on social media.”

Video shared on social media that was geolocated by NBC News to near Amsterdam’s central station appeared to show people chasing others and physically assaulting them.

The Dutch police said they were also aware of “reports regarding a possible hostage situation and missing persons, but currently have no confirmation that this actually took place.”

Authorities did not provide further information on the latter incident, but said they were investigating the matter.

Local police said that pro-Palestinian demonstrators had attempted to reach the Johan Cruyff stadium, despite an order from the city banning protests near the site, Reuters reported.

Police said fans had been able to leave the stadium without incident, but that clashes had erupted overnight in the city center, according to Reuters.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he trusted that authorities in the Netherlands would “act immediately and take all necessary measures to protect, locate and rescue all Israelis and Jews under attack, and to eradicate the violence against Jewish and Israeli citizens by all required means.”

U.S. Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, the special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, condemned the incident, saying it was “terribly reminiscent of a classic pogrom.”

Lipstadt said she was also “deeply disturbed by how long the reported attacks lasted and call on the government to conduct a thorough investigation into security force intervention and on how these despicable attacks transpired.”

Thursday night’s events unfolded as Israel continued its deadly offensive in Gaza, where local officials say more than 43,000 people have been killed in the yearlong assault launched following Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attacks, in which Israeli officials say some 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others taken hostage.

Israel has also waged a monthslong offensive in Lebanon in its fight against Hezbollah, as members of the international community seek to avoid an all-out war in the region.