THE HAGUE, Dec 15, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Dutch police said they arrested 22 people after clashes with protesters on Sunday outside an Amsterdam concert hall hosting a performance by the Israeli army's official cantor.

Several hundred people gathered near the famous Concertgebouw hall in the evening to protest a performance by Shai Abramson, the Israeli military's chief cantor.

"The police intervened several times to keep the demonstrators at a distance and maintain public order," the police said in a statement.

Riot police used batons as demonstrators set off smoke bombs, authorities said, adding one officer sustained minor injuries.

Police also arrested 22 people for offences that included breaking public assembly rules, possessing fireworks and resisting arrest.

Abramson was initially set to lead the Concertgebouw's annual public Hanukkah concert on Sunday afternoon.

But the plan drew public outcry given his ties to the Israeli military, which has sparked international condemnation with its war in Gaza.

His participation at the afternoon event was cancelled and replaced by an invitation to sing at two private evening concerts.

A US-sponsored ceasefire has halted fighting in Gaza, which began after Hamas's deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

But the deal, in effect since October 10, remains fragile as Israel and Hamas accuse each other almost daily of violations.