Four Maccabi Netanya Fans Arrested for Assault and Vandalism After Football Match

Four suspects were arrested overnight Tuesday following violent incidents after a football match between Bnei Sakhnin and Maccabi Netanya. The suspects allegedly attacked players and fans of the opposing team as the crowd was dispersing. During ensuing traffic congestion nearby, the suspects reportedly assaulted passengers in vehicles and smashed several car windows. Among the damaged vehicles was that of Bnei Sakhnin player Iyad Abu Abid, who was in the car with his pregnant wife at the time.

Sharon District police responded to the scene and launched an investigation using technological means, which led to the identification and arrest of the four suspects. Two of them are minors who were interrogated and subsequently banned from attending football matches. The two adult suspects are scheduled for a court hearing today to request an extension of their detention. The police emphasized their zero-tolerance policy toward violence at sporting events and their commitment to using all available resources to identify offenders, ban them from stadiums, and prosecute them.

This incident follows another violent episode two days earlier after a Premier League match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem in Rehovot, where Maccabi fans attacked Hapoel supporters, used pepper spray, and caused property damage to vehicles.