The Football Association of Ireland announced on Friday that the national team's match against their Israeli guests in the UEFA Nations League will be held at a neutral venue and without spectators.
The Irish Football Association, which has faced calls for a boycott from pro-Palestinian activists, said the match scheduled for October 4, which was to be held at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, presents "operational challenges".
The Irish Football Association confirmed that it had received approval from UEFA to move the match, but the venue was not announced.
The federation said in a statement: "After consulting with the relevant parties, the federation believes that operational challenges may affect the staging of the match on home soil, therefore it will be held outside the Aviva Stadium."
The statement added: "The Federation understands and respects the views of the players, coaching staff, fans, members, activists, the general public and the football community in Ireland regarding this match."
The federation also noted that it is in close contact with the Palestinian Football Association, which expressed its appreciation for "the principled positions taken by the Irish federation in support of the rights of the Palestinian people and Palestinian athletes."
The Irish Football Association added that it had previously called on the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to suspend the Israeli Football Association's membership in UEFA competitions, in protest against Israeli military operations in Gaza.
In Ireland's last home friendly against Qatar, Irish activists threw tennis balls onto the pitch as a form of protest.
The balls carried messages saying "Stop the game" in reference to Nations League matches against Israel.
