Israel football match moved to Hungary after Belgian cities refuse to host game

A football match between Belgium and Israel in the Nations League will be moved to an undisclosed venue in Hungary after several Belgian cities refused to host the game citing security concerns.

The move to Hungary comes after the Belgian Football Federation (RBFA) announced last week it would not host the game on 6 September, as it would likely spark demonstrations amid Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.

According to Israeli media, the RBFA has been seeking a new venue to hold the match after Brussels said it would be "impossible" for them to host the game due to security fears.

"Given that in Belgium, no local authority considered it possible to organise the home match of the Red Devils against Israel, the RBFA had to look for a solution abroad," the federation said in a statement.

The majority of the home games for the Belgian national team will take place at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, with only Israel singled out and forced to plan in another country.

It comes as the international football federation FIFA deliberates a proposal from the Palestinian Football Association to suspend Israel from competing internationally.

FIFA said the issue and the legal aspects would be discussed and shared with its council on 31 August, after the Paris Olympics is complete.

In Italy, the northeastern city of Udine also refused to host the Israeli national team in October for a Nations League game for security reasons.

The mayor of the city rejected a request by the Italian Football Federation to play the game at the Polenergia stadium, fearing it could spark divisions.

"Hosting such a match at a time when Israel is a country at war carries risks of causing divisions and social problems," the mayor said. "We refuse to associate the name of our city with this match."

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 39,000 Palestinians since 7 October and wounded over 89,000 others in the same time frame.

Activists have also called for the upcoming Olympics in Paris to be boycotted or for Israel to be banned, following the killing of a number of prominent sports figures, including children, in Gaza. 

Estimates from activists in Gaza state that around 350 sports players and athletes have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war on the enclave on 7 October. The figure includes at least 250 footballers.