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Ultras of Scottish football team Celtic called for Israel to be banned from international competitions during a crunch Champions League tie with Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.

Fans unfurled a large banner reading "Show 'Israel' the Red Card" during halftime in a major protest led by the Green Brigades supporter group.

Hundreds of supporters also held up smaller red leaflets distributed by the group carrying the same message.

"At the start of the second half, please Show 'Israel' the Red Card to send a direct message to Uefa and Fifa to apply their respective statutes and suspend 'Israel' from competition," the leaflet read.

"By doing so, you will not only be doing the right thing but you will be joining football fans of conscience and courage around the world who will be adopting the same message."

Several Palestinian flags could be seen around the ground.

Israel has killed hundreds of Palestinian footballers during its 16-month assault on the Gaza StripÌýand destroyed most of the territory's sports infrastructure.

More than 48,000 mostly civilians have been killed, according to the official toll from Gaza's health ministry, though the real figure is expected to be significantly higher.

"Last night Celtic fans showed 'Israel' the red card. This was a direct message to Uefa and Fifa to apply their respective statutes and suspend 'Israel' from competition," the Green Brigades said in a statement on Thursday.

"'Israel is committing genocide and ethnic cleansing; it is practising apartheid; and it is illegally occupying Palestinian territory. All of this is in breach of international law.

"We call on football fans around the world who value life, humanity, dignity, freedom, peace and justice to be courageous and to use your platform to stand against the crimes of 'Israel' and stand with Palestine.

"If the football world unites to isolate 'Israel', then other arenas will inevitably follow this example."

Uefa, European football's governing body, is likely to take action against the club for breaching rules that ban political messaging.

Celtic fans are well known for their pro-Palestine activism and have for years flown Palestinian flags during games.