Israeli soccer game abandoned after rival fans riot

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Dozens of people were injured after rioting football fans threw flares and smoke grenades during a Tel Aviv derby, Israeli authorities said on Monday.

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Sunday's game at Bloomfield Stadium between city rivals Hapoel and Maccabi was ultimately abandoned due to public safety concerns, police said.

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A police spokesman said in a statement that several fans arrived to cause trouble and fired dozens of flares and smoke grenades across the field.

According to the department, 42 people were injured, including five police officers. Dozens of people were arrested, 11 of them were brought to court, the rest were released under strict conditions, the report said.

Video footage released by The Associated Press showed pink and gray smoke rising from the field, accompanied by the sound of rockets. At one point, an object lands on the stands where people are gathered and begins emitting smoke as the crowd seeks cover.

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In a statement, the Tel Aviv club Maccabi said that the cancellation of the match with Hapoel was due to flares thrown by the opponent's fans, and not by visiting Maccabi fans from Tel Aviv.

In a post on social media, Hapoel called the decision to cancel the game “outrageous” and “hasty” and said most of the injured were caused by police action.

A Hapoel spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The football violence comes days after a controversial decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans from traveling to the UK for a Europa League game next month over security concerns.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized the decision not to allow Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans to attend the match against Aston Villa football club.

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Earlier this year, a league match between Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv was abandoned at half-time for security reasons after fans from the home team's section of Haifa threw flares at the players.

Last year, Israeli fans were attacked after a soccer match in Amsterdam between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dutch team Ajax. Five people were treated in hospitals and dozens were arrested after the attacks, which authorities in Amsterdam, Israel and across Europe condemned as anti-Semitic.

On the eve of the game, large crowds of supporters of the Israeli team could be seen on video chanting anti-Arab slogans and heading into the stadium, accompanied by police.

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