Dutch leader asked to enhance security after attacks, IDF plans rescue operation in Amsterdam.
Anti-Israel protesters targeted Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam during a UEFA match, assaulting them on the streets outside the stadium.
On Friday, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, requested additional security for Israelis from the Netherlands after fans of the Maccabi Tel Aviv FC soccer team were attacked by anti-Israel protesters the previous day.
The IDF will immediately deploy a rescue mission to Amsterdam, led by the Home Front Command, according to the Times of Israel.
Seventeen Israelis were injured or unaccounted for following the attacks, according to the Foreign Ministry.
After the attacks, Netanyahu spoke with Dutch Prime Minister Schoof and expressed his concern over the "premeditated attacks." He urged Schoof to enhance security measures for Israelis in the country. Meanwhile, Israel is taking its own steps to ensure the safety of its citizens in the Netherlands.
The Times of Israel reports that planes have been dispatched to the Netherlands to retrieve Israelis, including those who sustained injuries, and additional phone lines have been established at the embassy and in the Foreign Ministry's crisis center.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated that the recent attacks on Thursday were the most concerning event affecting Jews since the October 7, 2023 attacks carried out by Hamas terrorists in southern Israel.
"This morning, we were shocked by images and videos of an antisemitic pogrom against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and Israeli citizens in Amsterdam, Netherlands, which had been hoped never to see again since October 7th," Herzog wrote on X.
"Any country that wants to maintain freedom values must take this incident seriously, as it is a warning sign."
On Friday, the Dutch prime minister condemned the "antisemitic" attacks on Israeli soccer fans as "unacceptable" and vowed to prosecute the perpetrators.
Multiple fights were captured on video outside the stadium where Maccabi Tel Aviv FC was playing Ajax. Prior to the game, Spanish media had reported that anti-Israel protesters planned to target the soccer club and its supporters.
The military has stated that while the IDF has prohibited soldiers from flying to Amsterdam, it will consider "exceptional requests" on a case-by-case basis.
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