Sagiv Jehezkel, an Israeli football player in Türkiye, was freed by a Turkish court on Monday, just hours after he was arrested for showing a "hate" message amid the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict.
Judicial sources said Antalyaspor winger Jehezkel, who was sent to court after a health check, was released after his interrogation at the prosecutor's office.
The 28-year-old was excluded from the squad for his goal celebration allegedly glorifying Israel's attacks on Gaza that have so far killed over 24,000 people, mostly women and children, during the Trabzonspor match on Sunday and later arrested for an investigation started by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on the grounds of "inciting the public to hatred and hostility," according to police sources.
The Turkish Süper Lig club's deputy president and spokesperson, Evren Alkan, said the lawyers of Antalyaspor are working to terminate Jehezkel's deal.
The winger, who was released from custody pending trial, was due to return to Israel later on Monday aboard a private jet, said Evren.
After scoring against Trabzonspor, Jehezkel shared a message of solidarity with Israel by raising his bandaged hand.
The message refers to the attack carried out by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Oct. 7 and the 100 days of the Israeli onslaught on Gaza.
Together with the date and "100 days," the bandage also had a Star of David, symbolizing the Jewish identity.
Jehezkel apologized for his goal celebration, stating that he aims to "draw attention to the 100th day of the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel."
"I want the war to end as soon as possible.
"I wholeheartedly apologize to all Turkish people for this action I took during the match. I regret it. I did not want to make any provocations. I didn't think it could cause such a reaction," Jehezkel said in his statement to the police.
Antalyaspor drew with Trabzonspor 1-1 at home.
This season, Israeli internationals have scored six goals and made two assists in 13 matches for Antalyaspor.
A judicial investigation was launched against Jehezkel "for his ugly action supporting Israel's massacre in Gaza after he scored the goal, for inciting the public to hatred and hostility," Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunç said on X late Sunday.
The Turkish football body condemned Jehezkel's "completely unacceptable behavior," and a disciplinary investigation against those responsible was initiated.
In a parallel situation, Jehezkel's fellow countryman, Eden Karzev, who plays for former Turkish champions Başakşehir, is also facing scrutiny after his club initiated a disciplinary investigation against him on Monday concerning his social media post about the ongoing Gaza war.
Başakşehir, the champions of the Turkish Super Lig in 2020, revealed on X that Karzev, aged 23, will undergo a disciplinary process for posting a pro-Zionist message on Instagram, marking 100 days since the commencement of Israel's attacks on Gaza.
The club also demanded a written defense for "violating disciplinary regulations of the club," as Karzev's post "goes against the sensibilities of Türkiye." Karzev joined Başakşehir in 2023 and played in 17 matches.
Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Oct. 7, which Tel Aviv claims killed 1,200 people.
In response, more than 24,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed by indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes and bombardments on civilian targets including hospitals, schools, mosques, churches and homes.
The U.N. says at least 85% of the population of Gaza is already internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure is damaged or destroyed, as Israel is also laying a "total siege" on the Gaza Strip.
