Israel fans place teddy bears in seats and hold up signs bearing faces of those who were kidnapped during Hamas attacks last month… as loss to Romania means they will have to go through play-offs to qualify for Euro 2024

• Israel fans placed teddy bears in seats before their game against Romania 
• They also held up signs asking for kidnapped Israelis to be returned home 
• Romania qualified for Euro 2024 thanks to their victory in Budapest on Saturday 

Israel fans again paid tribute to those who lost their lives in last month’s terrorist attacks by Hamas, as well as honour those who were kidnapped. 

Romania booked a place at Euro 2024 after recovering from a goal down to claim a 2-1 win against Israel on Saturday.

The result means Israel can no longer qualify via a top two finish from their group and instead will have to go through the play-offs to make next summer’s finals in Germany.

Before the game, teddy bears were placed on seats, while fans, similar to their game with Switzerland on Wednesday, held up pictures with the faces of those who were kidnapped, asking for them to be brought home. 

Fans were also draped in Israeli flags for the game, which was again being played in Felcsut, Hungary, due to the ongoing crisis. 

Teddy bears were placed in seats of the Israeli section for their clash with Romania on Saturday

Fans held up pictures asking for missing people kidnapped during the Hamas attacks to be returned home

These Israeli fans wore shirts with the slogan ‘bring them home now!’ written on them

It came after Israel’s captain, Eli Dasa displayed the shoe of a young boy he said was kidnapped by Hamas militants during last month’s attacks earlier this week. 

‘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.’

Israel’s Under-21 side meanwhile agreed with their Polish opposition to hold their own minute’s silence during the first minute of their game on Friday.

UEFA had not organised a minute’s silence before the game, so as soon as the whistle went to start the game, the players stayed still and didn’t start the game till after the minute mark.

The moment of reflection related to attacks in Israel by the Hamas terrorist group when they broke Gaza’s militarised border to kill about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and take about 240 hostage, according to Israeli officials.

Israel and Palestine tributes have been a dividing topic and flags of either nation have been banned from appearing at games in an effort to prevent violence in ground.

Last week, it was reported that the Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has reached 12,000 just hours after Israel found the remains of another hostage from the October 7 attacks. 

Israel’s home game with Romania was held at the Pancho Arena in Felcsut, Hungary

Romania qualified for the European Championships following a 2-1 victory over Israel

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