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Monday, December 15, 2025
Police file prosecutor’s declaration against soccer fans for lighting flares, smoke grenades
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Police file a prosecutor’s declaration against 24 Hapoel Tel Aviv soccer fans suspected of lighting pyrotechnics and causing injuries before a planned Tel Aviv derby match in October.
The suspects, according to police, set off army-grade smoke grenades and flares within the stadium, injuring several fans and police officers.
The match was set to take place between Tel Aviv’s Hapoel and Maccabi teams, but was canceled due to rioting in and around Bloomfield Stadium.
The disruption was allegedly coordinated in advance, with each suspect having been assigned a specific role to play ahead of the match. Police identified them via footage taken inside and outside the stadium.
Police add that many of the suspects were involved in a brawl with rival fans in March at Peres Park in Holon. They were equipped with metal batons, brass knuckles and pepper spray, police claim.
Earlier this month, police, including officers in the Border Police’s National Guard forces, detained dozens of Hapoel Tel Aviv fans and raided a warehouse belonging to the club, confiscating dozens of extendable batons and tear gas canisters. The raid was part of a probe into the October incident by the Tel Aviv District’s investigative unit.
The Times of Israel Community.