Israel sends rescue planes after reports attack on soccer fans in Amsterdam | Netherlands

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

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

“Fans watching a soccer match encountered anti-Semitism and were attacked with unimaginable cruelty simply because they were Jews and Israelis,” Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a post on X.

Local police said 57 people were detained after the game as pro-Palestinian demonstrators tried to reach the Johan Cruyff Stadium, despite the city banning them from protesting there.

Police said fans left the stadium without incident, but several clashes were reported downtown during the night.

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

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

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

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

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