Match between Italy, Israel triggers high alert with pro-Palestinian march going ahead
ROME: The city of Udine has put extraordinary security measures in place ahead of Italy’s upcoming World Cup soccer qualifier with Israel, as a pro-Palestinian march will go ahead on the day of the game, even after Israel and Hamas agreed on a peace deal. The agreement, ratified by Israel’s government on Friday, includes a ceasefire and plan to free Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. March organizer Committee for Palestine-Udine opposes what it calls the “violence of the Israeli occupation in Palestinian territories,” and expects over 10,000 people to attend on Tuesday, hours before the game kicks off at the Stadio Friuli. “Our demands remain unchanged,” a group spokesperson told Reuters, calling the match a “game of shame.” “We stand alongside the Palestinian people, for their right to self-determination, their right of return, and their right to live a life free from occupation, in Gaza and throughout Palestine.” “Our pressure will cease only when the Palestinian people are fully free.” More than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza, launched after Hamas-led militants stormed through Israeli towns and a music festival on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages.