UDINE, Italy — Snipers are on the roof of the Israel team hotel in Udine and the Italian city is on maximum alert ahead of a soccer World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.

The sound of helicopters surveilling the city has filled the air since the morning, hours before Italy’s match against Israel was set to kick off at Stadio Friuli.

The match has been placed in the highest risk category despite a breakthrough ceasefire deal that has paused two years of war in Gaza.

A pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel march is scheduled to start in the city center a few hours before kickoff and is expected to attract around 10,000 people. It will be kept away from the stadium, which is on the outskirts of the city.

Many shops and restaurants have decided not to open on Tuesday and there are strict rules for those that do, including the removal of any outdoor furniture or other objects that could potentially be used as weapons.

The Israel team bus will be escorted to the stadium with maximum security and there will also be snipers on the roof of the arena as well as a hefty police and military presence.

Italy also played Israel a year ago in Udine, which was chosen because of the relative difficulty of reaching the city in north-east Italy, near the Slovenian border, and the ease of isolating the stadium, where road blocks have been set up all around.

The area has been declared a “red zone,” and only fans with tickets can pass through the tall metal barriers. Supporters have been strongly advised to arrive early because of rigorous checks, with everyone having to pass through metal detectors, too.

Just over 9,000 tickets have been sold for the qualifier at the 25,000-seat Stadio Friuli and there are likely to be fewer people inside the stadium than at the demonstration.

There was also a pro-Palestine demonstration last year before the match, but that drew only around 1,000 protesters.

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso on Monday hailed the “beautiful” Gaza peace deal ahead of the game.

Gattuso hoped that the ceasefire agreement brokered after two years of war — which includes an exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners that began on Monday — will calm a tense atmosphere ahead of an important match for Italy’s bid to qualify for a World Cup after missing the last two.

“It was a beautiful thing to see, we spoke about it with everyone in our hotel, who works in the football federation (FIGC). We were all very happy,” Gattuso told reporters.

“I respect those who will be outside (the demonstrators)…but we’re very happy that the war has been stopped.”

The FIGC said that 8,000 tickets have been sold for the match at the Bluenergy Stadium, which has a capacity of just over 25,000, with fans mostly staying away for a match deemed “high risk” by Italy’s interior ministry.

Udine was selected as the venue in order to limit the potential for disorder, just as with a Nations League match between Italy and Israel in September last year.

During massive strike action in support of the Palestinians earlier this month, demonstrators went to the Italian national team’s training center in Florence to demand the match be called off.

Appeals from Udine’s mayor Alberto Felice De Toni that the fixture be postponed were also rejected.

Israel coach Ran Ben Shimon chose not to dwell on events back home, insisting that he and his team were focusing on football.

“We’re with our people, and we’re very moved,” he told reporters. “All we can do is focus 100 percent on football to make our people happy.”

Gattuso will be without Moise Kean after the Fiorentina striker failed to recover from an ankle sprain suffered during Saturday’s 3-1 win over Estonia.

Kean’s absence is a blow for Italy as the 25-year-old has scored six times in his last four matches for his country, including the opener in the Group I match in Tallinn over the weekend.

“We knew that there was little chance of Moise recovering in time,” said Gattuso.

Italy sits second in the five-team group, six points behind leaders Norway and three ahead of third-placed Israel with a game in hand on both.

A win in Udine will secure Italy at least second place and a spot in the play-offs, with only first place giving direct qualification for next year’s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

However, Italy, which has three fixtures left to play, would need Norway to slip up against Estonia next month to have a realistic chance of finishing top, due to the 19-goal gap in goal difference between the two teams.

Italy hosts Norway in their final group fixture at the San Siro on November 16.