Israeli Soccer Fans Injured in Attacks Linked to Antisemitism in Amsterdam

The Israeli government said on Friday that it would help bring home citizens injured in Amsterdam after bursts of violence tied to a soccer game between a Dutch and an Israeli team, which Israeli and Dutch officials described as antisemitic attacks.

The police in Amsterdam said in a statement on Friday that it had launched an investigation into multiple outbreaks of violence, and that five people had been hospitalized and 62 arrested. The statement did not say what had touched off the violence, the exact circumstances of which remained unclear.

The Dutch police said earlier that the clashes, which began Thursday, took place in areas where people had gathered, some in support of the Israeli team and others to protest its arrival, creating a tense atmosphere.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said at least 10 Israeli citizens had been hurt in the violence and two others were missing. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said his government would help in “providing civilian aviation solutions” for injured Israelis, and that he had spoken with Prime Minister Dick Schoof of the Netherlands.

A spokeswoman for the Israeli airline El Al said that it would “operate on short notice rescue flights” free of charge from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv starting Friday afternoon.

Gideon Saar, Israel’s newly appointed foreign minister, said he would travel to the Netherlands on Friday to meet with his Dutch counterpart as well as with Israelis and members of the Jewish community.