Norway's soccer federation will donate profits from its World Cup qualifying match against Israel in Oslo on October 11 to humanitarian aid in Gaza, saying it "cannot remain indifferent" to the suffering of civilians there. "We want to give the profits to a humanitarian organization that saves lives in Gaza every day and provides active emergency aid on the ground," Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) President Lise Klaveness said Tuesday. "Neither we nor other organizations can remain indifferent to the humanitarian suffering and disproportionate attacks that the civilian population in Gaza has been subjected to for a long time. Israel is part of FIFA and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), and we must deal with that." Klaveness, a lawyer and former footballer, has previously criticized human rights abuses in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, countries that were awarded World Cup hosting rights. Israel's football association hit back with a barbed statement, first published in Britain's Telegraph. It said the money should instead go to "a condemnation by the [NFF] of the October 7 massacre that claimed the lives of hundreds of Israeli citizens and children, or action in favor of the release of 50 hostages, and not be transferred to terrorist organizations or to whale hunting." An Israeli Football Association source added, "We are also aiming to gain 3 points" in the match. The Norwegian federation said it is coordinating with UEFA and local authorities to ensure security at the match. UEFA regulations prohibit political messages in stadiums, though the governing body has recently allowed displays highlighting civilian suffering, including a Super Cup banner reading "Stop Killing Children – Stop Killing Civilians" and the participation of two refugee children from Gaza in the medal ceremony. Israel lost 2-4 to Norway in March in Budapest, where it staged its "home" qualifier due to the war. That game, too, was accompanied by Norwegian statements that sparked controversy in Israel. Ahead of the March 2025 match, Norwegian captain Martin Ødegaard questioned UEFA's decision to allow Israel to continue participating amid the ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflict, saying the team had to "deal with the fact that UEFA decided the match would go ahead." Israeli captain Eli Dasa responded sharply: "I wonder if those criticising us in Norway can even find Gaza on a map. We have hostages there, starving under horrific conditions."