Chris Byfield
Former Aston Villa and Everton winger Anwar El-Ghazi has been suspended by Bundesliga side Mainz for a pro-Palestine post on social media.
Mainz suspended El Ghazi on Wednesday evening after he "took a position on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East".
El Ghazi, who only joined the German club in September, shared a pro-Palestine post on his Instagram story. Israel is currently at war with Hamas, a terrorist organisation governing the Gaza Strip of the Palestinian territories.
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While the 28-year-old, linked with Manchester United last month, deleted the post, Mainz still chose to act.
They released a statement which read: "Mainz 05 releases Anwar El Ghazi from training and games. The exemption is a response to a now-deleted social media post by the 28-year-old on Sunday evening.
"In this, El Ghazi had taken a position on the conflict in the Middle East that was intolerable for the club. The release was preceded by a detailed discussion between the board and the player.
"Mainz 05 respects that there are different perspectives on the complex Middle East conflict that has been going on for decades. However, the club clearly distances itself from the content of the post as it does not reflect the values of our club."
Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, which killed more than 1,300 people. Meanwhile, Israel's military has said at least 199 people were taken hostage.
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Israel has since responded with air strikes on the densely populated Gaza Strip - with a hospital and a school having been hit. Israel has also blocked supplies of food, water, fuel and electricity on Gaza.
El Ghazi appeared to share a post that accused Israel of genocide, censoring content on social media and using AI pictures to spread misinformation. Israel would reject all these claims.
The winger, who has two Netherlands caps, joined Mainz in September following spells with Ajax, Lille, Villa, Everton and PSV.
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