The Republic of Ireland are to play their upcoming Nations League game against Israel at a neutral venue behind closed doors following protests by players and fans over the death toll of Palestinian civilians during the war in Gaza.

Ireland had been set to host Israel at the Aviva Stadium on 4 October, while a 27 September fixture designated as an Israel home match is also expected to be staged at a neutral venue. But Irish footballers, fans and celebrities launched a campaign calling for a boycott of the game.

“Following consultation with various stakeholders, the association is of the view that operational challenges could impact on the delivery of the game on home soil, so the fixture will be played away from the Aviva Stadium,” the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) said in a statement.

Ireland has been one of the European Union’s most outspoken critics of Israel’s war in Gaza, and FAI members voted overwhelmingly in late 2025 for its board to request that Uefa immediately suspend the Israel Football Association from European competitions. United Nations experts have appealed to Fifa and Uefa to suspend Israel from international football, citing a UN commission of inquiry report that said Israel had committed genocide during the war in Gaza. Israel has denied committing genocide and described the report as scandalous.

The FAI statement said the Palestinian Football Association had “expressed its appreciation for the principled positions taken by the Football Association of Ireland in support of the rights of the Palestinian people and Palestinian athletes”.

Nearly 73,000 people in Gaza have been killed since the war began, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities.