By: Muhammad Bashir Shuaib

Sagiv Jehezkel, an Israeli football player, has been caught and dismissed by his Turkish club, Antalyaspor, after dedicating a goal to hostages kidnapped by Hamas. On his bandaged wrist, Jehezkel displayed a message that indicated the passage of 100 days since the 7th of October.

The 28 years old Jehezkel, was reported to have held his clenched fist aloft to display the message after scoring a goal for his team against Trabzonspor in Turkey’s Super League on Sunday. The president of his Turkish club, Sinan Boztepe, disclosed on X handle that Jehezkel had been removed from the club for the act.
“Sagiv Jehezkel, who was seen to have acted against the national values ​​of our country by sharing the writing on his wrist after scoring the goal has been decided to be excluded from the squad by the decision of the board of directors.” He said 

“Our Board of Directors will never allow behaviour against the sensitivities of our country, even if it results in a championship or a cup.”

The Turkish Football Federation supported the decision of the club in a post on its official X handle which read, 
“We condemn the completely unacceptable behaviour of football player Segiv Jehezkel in the Bitexen Antalyaspor – Trabzonspor match. We find Bitexen Antalyaspor’s decision to exclude the player from the squad appropriate.”

However, According to local media, Jehezkel gave a statement through a translator saying he did not “make a move to provoke”, but wanted the war to end.
“I am not a pro-war person… There are Israeli soldiers captured in Gaza. I am someone who believes that this 100-day period should end now. I want the war to end,” he said.
Israeli officials have since then criticized Turkey’s actions towards the footballer.
Defence Minister Yadav Gallant said Israel had supported Turkey in last year’s earthquakes, and accused Turkey of serving as a “de facto executive arm” of Hamas.