A wave of violent attacks targeted hundreds of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans late Thursday night into Friday morning throughout Amsterdam's city center following their team's Europa League match against Ajax. Multiple witness accounts describe a pattern of systematic violence that overwhelmed local law enforcement, with some police units eventually withdrawing from certain areas.
"This was meticulously orchestrated," according to multiple witnesses at the scene. "The attackers arrived armed with knives, and some attempted vehicular attacks against fans in the streets. People were fleeing in terror, desperately trying to reach the safety of their hotels." In response, Israel's Foreign Ministry has activated an emergency operations center to facilitate the rapid evacuation of all supporters from the Netherlands.
"The severity of last night's events blindsided us completely," Ami Shooman, an Israel Hayom photographer who attended the match with his son, recounted. "While we anticipated some pro-Palestinian chants, none of us were prepared for the orchestrated violence that awaited. Our police escort ended at the stadium's train station, but upon disembarking at Dam Square in the city center, we faced an ambush. Hundreds of Arab and Turkish attackers had positioned themselves strategically to target Jewish visitors.
"Young people endured what can only be described as attempted lynching, women were in tears fearing for their lives, and I found myself trying to maintain composure, telling my son 'these are just demonstrations' – all while silently praying for it to end. Fellow fans warned against taking taxis, as numerous drivers were immigrants identified as collaborators in the attacks. The police response took hours to materialize. The scene resembled a war zone. We were eventually barricaded inside a restaurant for protection from the bloodthirsty mob outside. By 2 a.m., authorities began evacuating people in armored vehicles to their hotels. This level of organized violence caught the Dutch authorities completely off guard, and it should serve as a wake-up call for all of Europe."
Social media platforms were filled with desperate posts about missing fans who remained unaccounted for after the attacks, while others sought medical attention for injuries sustained from masked assailants carrying Palestinian flags. The club's emergency hotline was flooded with calls from fans trapped inside stores, while others decided to flee Amsterdam entirely, seeking refuge in surrounding communities.
My heart is completely shattered now... 💔💔💔😭
The videos from Amsterdam are horrific - a nightmare comes to life.
By who? Jihadists. Enough is enough!#AmsterdamPogrom #Israel #Iran #AmsterdamAttack pic.twitter.com/gnhnVZVp6W
— Sangita Singh🎗️ (@Sangitajadon95) November 8, 2024
"The situation was completely out of control," fans who contacted Maccabi Tel Aviv officials for emergency assistance said. "They had attackers positioned at every corner, utilizing their intimate knowledge of the city's layout to cut off escape routes. Even those walking without any visible Israeli or team identification were stopped and interrogated if deemed suspicious. Failure to respond in Arabic or Dutch resulted in immediate physical assault, with no law enforcement in sight."
Witness accounts indicate that Dutch authorities "had severely underestimated the scale of potential unrest, concentrating their forces in the city center while leaving other areas vulnerable." The Israeli Foreign Ministry has initiated a comprehensive outreach effort to contact all Israeli fans who reported attacks. With serious concerns about potential casualties mounting, diplomatic efforts are focused on expediting the safe return of all fans to Israel.
