Ireland-Israel match moved to neutral venue behind closed doors after protests

BEIRUT — The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) said Friday that Ireland will play Israel behind closed doors at a neutral venue after protests over the Israeli army killing civilians in Gaza.

Ireland was initially scheduled to host Israel at Dublin's Aviva Stadium on Oct. 4, while the Sept. 27 fixture, originally set as a home match for Israel, is also expected to be played at a neutral venue. However, footballers, supporters and Irish public figures launched a campaign calling for a boycott of the match.

"After consulting with various stakeholders, the association considers that operational difficulties could compromise the proper conduct of the home match. The game will therefore be played away from the Aviva Stadium," the FAI said in a statement.

Nearly 73,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of the war, mostly civilians, according to local health authorities. Israel launched its offensive after an assault by militants from the Islamist group Hamas across the border, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 Israeli and foreign hostages on Oct. 7, 2023.

Ireland is one of the fiercest critics of Israel's war in Gaza within the European Union, and FAI members voted by a large majority at the end of 2025 for its board to ask UEFA to immediately suspend the Israel Football Association from European competitions.

United Nations experts have urged FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israel from international football, citing a U.N. Commission of Inquiry report accusing Israel of genocide during the war in Gaza. Israel denies committing genocide and calls the report outrageous. In a statement, the FAI said the Palestinian Football Association had "expressed appreciation for the principled positions taken by the Football Association of Ireland in favor of the rights of the Palestinian people and Palestinian athletes."