What's New
An Amsterdam District Court on Tuesday sentenced five men to prison terms of up to six months for their involvement in violence surrounding a UEFA Europa League match between Dutch club Ajax and Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv last November.
Why It Matters
The match was marred by a series of violent clashes between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soccer fans. Some of the violence was denounced as antisemitic, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to offer evacuation for Maccabi supporters.
Five people were hospitalized, 20 others sustained minor injuries and authorities detained more than 60 individuals in connection with the violence.
What To Know
On Tuesday, the court handed down prison sentences to four of the defendants, ranging from six months for one individual to two-and-a-half months and one month for two others. The fifth defendant was sentenced to 100 hours of community service.
The five defendants, Dutch residents aged 19 to 32, faced charges including public violence, theft and assault.
Despite the Netherlands' counterterrorism agency determining there was no "concrete threat" to Israeli fans and classifying the November 8 match as low risk, Amsterdam authorities preemptively banned a pro-Palestinian demonstration outside the Johan Cruyff Arena.
An investigation revealed that on the eve of the match, authorities documented several incidents involving Israeli fans, including the removal of a Palestinian flag from a building in Amsterdam and an assault on a taxi.
Israel Response
In November, the Israeli military initially wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Following the severe incidents of violence against Israelis in Amsterdam, under the guidance of the political echelon and following the assessment of the situation, the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] immediately prepared to send out a rescue mission in coordination with the Dutch government."
However, Israel's military later said the rescue mission would not be taking place.
"Following the directive of the political echelon, the IDF mission will not be departing to Amsterdam," the IDF said in a statement provided to Newsweek.
What People Are Saying
In a statement earlier this month, the prosecutor's office said: "It seems that the violence arose from strong pro-Palestine sentiments and dissatisfaction with the situation in Gaza, and related anger against the Israelis present."
What's Next
Six additional suspects, including three minors, are set to stand trial at a later date. Dutch law requires that juvenile proceedings take place behind closed doors.
Meanwhile, police continue to investigate the violence and have released images of several unidentified suspects in hopes of gathering more information.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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