Thousands are expected to march Saturday night against Israel in Oslo, Norway, ahead of a high-stakes World Cup qualifying soccer match between the Israeli and Norwegian national teams overshadowed by the Gaza war.

The match, according to the UK’s The Guardian, will be the “most high-security sports event in Norway since the Winter Olympics in 1994.”

The report said that “anti-terror measures were in place throughout Oslo,” police were imposing a no-fly zone over the stadium, and that supporters from both nations would be barred from sitting in seats close to the pitch.

Tensions are especially high, given that the Norwegian Football Federation has recently joined the chorus of calls for the Israeli teams to be banned from international competitions over the country’s actions in the war in Gaza.

The NFF, which has perhaps been the most boisterous European federation in its opposition to Israel’s participation in international soccer, announced ahead of the match that all proceeds will be donated to Doctors Without Borders’ work in the Gaza Strip, a move that prompted criticism from the Israelis.

“It would be nice if some of the amount were directed to try to find a condemnation by the Norwegian FA of the October 7 massacre that claimed the lives of hundreds of Israeli citizens and children,” the Israel Football Association said, referring to the 2023 Hamas-led attacks that sparked the war in Gaza.

UEFA, the European soccer governing body, was set to hold a vote on banning Israel from competitions, but put the decision on hold this week following the announcement that a ceasefire agreement had been reached between Israel and Hamas.

Lise Klaveness, the Norwegian Football Federation’s president, said after the announcement that the effort to have Israel excluded was “not an effort to ban Israel, it’s about a rules-based system.”

“Like all people, we’re very happy there is a peace agreement,” she said. “It’s more important than the game that the bombs stop and the hostages go home.”

“When we’ve talked about sanctions, it’s about breaches of FIFA law. That should be a continued discussion,” she said, apparently referring to the Palestinian soccer federation’s longstanding calls, which predate the Gaza war, to have FIFA take action against the Israeli soccer body for incorporating teams from West Bank settlements in its leagues.

While the NFF was not considering boycotting the match, activists in the country were pushing for a much harder line against Israel.

“Israel shouldn’t be included in an international football arena when they are violating international law and preventing Palestinian football players from playing,” Line Khateeb, leader of the Palestine Committee in Norway, told the Guardian.

“We won’t disturb the game, we want Norway to win,” she said. “We will protest, but after this game there will be other games involving youth teams or in European competitions. They should reject receiving Israel for Norwegian football teams.”

Khateeb’s organization will lead the protest march in Oslo.

When asked by reporters ahead of the match about how the team feels about the increased security, Israeli national team captain Eli Dasa said the measures were “Not much higher than usual.”

The national team has gotten used to playing under tight watch from security agencies, especially over the past two years of war, as tensions against Israel have grown internationally.

Dasa added that the announcement of the ceasefire in Gaza, and the impending return of some 20 living hostages, who have been held in the Strip by terror groups for over two years, comes with “a lot of excitement, it helps us a lot,”

“Since October 7, 2023, we haven’t attended a game with the feeling of hope that something will happen, but now they are on their way home and we would like to give them a nice present,” Dassa said.

Saturday’s match will kick off at 7 p.m. Israel time.

Beyond politics, the game is crucial for both teams, and Italy, who Israel plays next.

Norway knows that victory would end their 28-year absence from the World Cup if Italy fails to beat either Estonia or Israel in Group I. It is also a must-win for the Israeli side if they want any hope in qualifying for next year’s World Cup.

Norway has enjoyed a dream start to qualifying, scoring 24 goals in five successive wins to move to the brink of the finals.

Superstar striker Erling Haaland, who is yet to play at a major tournament, already has a remarkable nine goals in their group, after netting five in the 11-1 thumping of Moldova last time out.

But the Scandinavians will be without skipper Martin Odegaard after he suffered a knee injury playing for Arsenal last weekend.

Four-time world champions Italy will be desperate to avoid the play-offs, after losing at that stage in qualifying for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Sweden and North Macedonia, respectively.

Tuesday’s game against Israel in the city of Udine is also expected to see mass protests and heavy security.

The northern Italian city has put extraordinary security measures in place, and protest organizer Committee for Palestine-Udine has vowed to continue its plans to march despite the newly announced ceasefire in Gaza.

“Our demands remain unchanged,” a group spokesperson told Reuters, calling the match a “game of shame.”

“We stand alongside the Palestinian people,” they added. “For their right to self-determination, their right of return and their right to live a life free from occupation, in Gaza and throughout Palestine. Our pressure will cease only when the Palestinian people are fully free.”

The Municipality of Udine issued a number of restrictions on Friday, with road closures and parking limitations coming into effect from Saturday, and is installing concrete barriers in the stadium area to establish security zones.

There is a ban on serving food and drink in glass, ceramic, or tin containers on the day of the match, and all outdoor furnishings must be removed from outside public establishments.

The National Observatory on Sporting Events has assigned the highest risk level to the game, and the Prefecture of Udine, a government authority, said the march could present an opportunity for infiltration by violent groups.

March organizers say they have no intention of preventing the game from going ahead, with the protest taking place well away from the stadium, but other demonstrations could take place.

Udine Mayor Alberto Felice De Toni had called for the game to be postponed, but with Italy desperately attempting to avoid failing to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, the four-time champion doesn’t plan to risk not playing.

As of Monday, only 4,000 tickets were sold for the match at the 25,000-seat Stadio Friuli.

Italy midfielder Bryan Cristante, who grew up less than an hour’s drive from Udine, also welcomed the peace efforts.

“We’re all pleased. That’s what we wanted,” Cristante said. “Let’s hope the stadium in Udine is full. Because we need our fans. They can give us an extra push.”