JERUSALEM: Israeli police said Monday they will seize any Palestinian flags Celtic fans wave at the Scottish club's decisive Champions League play-off in Israel against Hapoel Beersheba.

Any flags seen at Tuesday's second leg game in the southern city of Beersheba would be “confiscated immediately,” said police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.

“Police units will respond in order to ensure that the game will be a professional game and not a political one,” he told AFP.

He did not specifically mention Palestinian flags, but dozens of Celtic fans waved them during last week's first leg play-off in Glasgow against Hapoel Beersheba.

Celtic supporters identify with causes, among them the Palestinians.

The club now faces disciplinary proceedings by European football's governing body UEFA.

UEFA said the flag display constituted an “illicit banner,” under a rule which bans “messages that are of a political, ideological, religious, offensive or provocative nature.”

The Israeli side trails 5-2 from the first leg, with the winners qualifying for the group stages of Europe's top club tournament.

About 250 Celtic fans are expected to attend, Rosenfeld said, along with “several thousand” Beersheba supporters.

“There'll be private security guards and Israeli police special patrol units who'll carry out security measures both before and after the game,” he said.

Celtic were fined about $20,900 two years ago after a Palestinian flag was displayed at a Champions League qualifier against KR Reykjavik of Iceland.

The Scottish champions have been punished eight times in five seasons by the European governing body for supporter misconduct.