Ireland rout Israel as players stage Gaza protest

Ireland cruised past Israel 3-0 in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday in a fixture defined by a series of protests from the Irish squad over Israel's war on Gaza.

Silent protest before kickoff

At the ground in Debrecen, Hungary, Irish players lowered their heads as Israel's national anthem was played and wore black armbands in memory of Palestinians killed in Gaza. The demonstration carried into the pre-match formalities, with the customary handshake ceremony abandoned altogether, as the two sides did not line up to shake hands and the captains exchanged neither pennants nor handshakes.

Moylan's gesture seals rout

On the pitch, Ireland seized control early, surging to a 3-0 advantage within the first 25 minutes. Jack Moylan, scorer of Ireland's third goal, celebrated by pulling off his black armband, kissing it and lifting it skyward in a show of solidarity with Gaza. The two teams also did not swap jerseys after the final whistle.

Boycott calls and venue switch

The match drew heightened scrutiny over Ireland's position on Israel's war on Gaza, and doubts had surrounded the fixture earlier in the week amid calls at home for the team to boycott it. Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said before the game that some players felt "really uncomfortable" about facing Israel and described the team as playing "against genocide." Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu also opted out of both Sunday's match and next week's return fixture, citing the "killing of innocent people." The return game, nominally an Ireland home match, has been relocated from Dublin to Backa Topola, Serbia, and is set to be played behind closed doors on Oct. 4.