Emotional moment Israel’s football captain holds up boot belonging to boy, eight, kidnapped by Hamas – saying ‘that´s all what´s left from his house… this left shoe’

• Israel held Switzerland to a draw in what was classed a home game in Hungary 
• Fans draped themselves in the country’s flag and greeted the team’s bus 
• Some fans held up signs bearing faces of those kidnapped in Hamas attacks  

Israel captain displayed the shoe of a young boy he said was kidnapped by Hamas militants during last month’s attacks in an emotional tribute during a press conference ahead of the match against Switzerland.

Around 1,200 people were killed during the attacks on October 7, with more than 11,000 Palestinians who have lost their lives since then from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.

On Wednesday, meanwhile, Israel fans held up signs bearing the faces of those who were kidnapped during last month’s attacks by Hamas, as they played Switzerland in a Euro 2024 qualifier in Hungary.  

Shon Weissman scored an 88th minute equaliser for Israel who played out a 1-1 draw with Switzerland, in one of two ‘home games’ that will instead be ahead in Felcsut – a Hungarian village of around 1,900 people.

It came after captain Eli Dasa, addressing a news conference in Felcsut on Tuesday, raised a small athletic shoe to reporters. 

Israel team captain Eli Dasa shows a shoe of a kidnapped Israeli boy during a press conference

Fans held up placards during their clash with Switzerland asking for kidnapped supporters to be brought home

An Israeli fan welcomes their team bus as it arrives at the stadium in Felcsut near Budapest

The match with Switzerland was due to be played last month before it was postponed due to the situation in Israel

There was a large security prescence outside the stadium with armed police forces

The shoe belonged to a boy he said was kidnapped by Hamas militants last month and was an act of solidarity with Israelis held captive in Gaza ahead of the team’s game in Hungary. 

‘It is hard to speak at the moment, but I don´t think that any of you can guess what is the story behind this shoe,’ Dasa said. 

‘This kid is in Gaza Strip at the moment with seven, seven people from his family.

‘That´s all what´s left from his house. This left shoe. We wait for him here,’ he continued, before standing up and leaving the news conference.

The shoe was taken from Be’eri kibbutz, the small community in Israel from which eight-year-old Nave Shoham was kidnapped along with seven of his relatives – according to the Israeli team’s press officer. 

Ahead of Wednesday’s game, fans draped in Israeli flags gathered outside the heavily guarded stadium in Hungary, singing chants as their team’s bus arrived. 

Some fans had travelled as far as Israel to watch their side on Wednesday evening.

Israel’s side of the stand was full of flags and placards asking for those who were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists last month to be returned. 

Balloons were released by fans to honour those that lost their lives or had been kidnapped during the attacks on October 7 

The match itself saw Israel rescue a 1-1 draw with an 88th minute equaliser against Switzerland

The match was due to be played last month before it was postponed due to the security situation in Israel.

As a result, Israel play four games in the space of nine days to complete their qualifying campaign.

After losing 1-0 to Kosovo on Sunday, they next faces Romania on Saturday, before facing Andorra next Tuesday.

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