Celtic have been fined £8,616 by UEFA after fans displayed an “illicit banner” during their recent Champions League qualifier against Hapoel Be’er Sheva.

Fans flew Palestine flags before and during the match against Israeli opposition at Parkhead on Aug. 17, resulting in a charge from European football’s governing body.

UEFA viewed the flags as illicit banners under Article 16 of its disciplinary regulations and at a disciplinary hearing the complaint against the Scottish champions was upheld and the club were fined.

The UEFA rule in question forbids the use of “gestures, words, objects or any other means to transmit any message that is not fit for a sports event, particularly messages that are of a political, ideological, religious, offensive or provocative nature.”

Celtic have been punished eight times in five seasons by UEFA for supporter misconduct and the sanction on each occasion has been a fine from the governing body.

They were fined around £16,000 two years ago after a Palestine flag was displayed at a Champions League qualifier against KR Reykjavik.

Last month, some fans of the club launched an online campaign in a bid to raise funds for Palestinian charities, with the aim of matching the fine imposed by UEFA. The fundraiser has since collected in excess of £100,000 in donations.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino wrote to the Israel and Palestine football federations Friday, offering his condolences for the “horrendous violence” over the past week in a conflict that has taken over 2,700 lives and injured thousands more.

In the letter first reported by Sky News, Infantino and world football’s governing body called for “the immediate end of hostilities and for the immediate relief of the suffering of the people of both Israel and Palestine,” and said football can be a “vehicle for peace.”

Infantino’s letter read: “It is as heart-breaking as it is shocking to see a region, whose people have known such profound suffering over far too long, suffer even more.

“Of course, we know that football cannot solve the problems of the World, but it can play even a small part in bringing a light of hope where there appears to be only darkness ahead,” Infantino added.

“Football shows that it is possible to bring people together in an environment of mutual respect, acting as a vehicle for peace and, eventually, reconciliation, even when this may have seemed impossible to all but a few.

“I would like to stress that FIFA will do whatever we possibly can to assist you in your relief efforts and to restoring peace and hope to your people now and into the future.”

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin sent a similar letter to Shino Moshe Zuares, president of the Israeli FA, on Thursday, saying “the pain and sorrow are profound and resonate across the entire football community.”

The letters come after Hamas, an Islamist militant group that governs Gaza, launched an attack on Israel on Saturday. Israel formally declared war on Hamas a day later.

UEFA has postponed Israel’s European Championship qualifying games against Switzerland and Kosovo, due to take place place Thursday and Sunday, respectively.

Israel are now due to play three Euro 2024 qualifiers in the one-week international break next month designed for just two games.