Soccer fans fighting in northern Israel.
Credit: X/@DavidG54485524
Jerusalem: Six soccer fans were arrested in northern Israel on Saturday night, police said, after fighting involving supporters of Bnei Sakhnin and Maccabi Haifa following their 0-0 draw in Sakhnin.
Israeli police said that supporters of both clubs were among those involved in a brawl and public order disturbances after the match and that two individuals required medical treatment.
Some fans had been removed from the stadium and fined after being found to be in possession of pyrotechnic devices, the police statement said. Israeli soccer fans have come under scrutiny since November 2024, when Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters were involved in violent confrontations before and after a match in Amsterdam. Maccabi fans were banned from attending a Europa League match against English club Aston Villa in Birmingham on Thursday over concerns about potential pro-Palestinian protests and what police in England said were "significant levels of hooliganism" among the Israeli team's supporters.
Israeli police cancelled a local derby between Tel Aviv clubs Maccabi and Hapoel last month after violence erupted in and around the stadium before the match. Police said nine people were arrested and 15 were injured, including three officers.