Soccer star Mesut Ozil laments innocent casualties of Israel-Hamas conflict

Former Arsenal and Real Madrid star Mesut Ozil has shown his support for Palestine in a social media post amidst the ongoing conflict in the region. 

Ozil, a retired German international, joins a growing number of prominent sports figures expressing solidarity with Palestinians following the attacks by Hamas in Israel on Saturday.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on a Friday morning, Ozil called for an end to the war while also displaying his support for Palestine in a post that included the hashtag '#FreePalestine.' 

He accompanied the message with a photo of the Palestinian flag and added, "Praying for humanity. Praying for peace," along with two praying emojis.

Ozil further emphasised the tragic loss of innocent lives, particularly children, on both sides of the conflict, describing it as heartbreaking and sad. He concluded his message with a plea: "PLEASE STOP THE WAR!!!"

This isn't the first time Ozil has expressed his solidarity with Palestine. In 2021, while playing for Fenerbahce in Turkey, he and several of his teammates wore 'Free Palestine' t-shirts. His former Arsenal colleague, Mohamed Elneny, who still plays for the Gunners, also showed his support by changing his Instagram profile picture to the Palestinian flag. Elneny had previously posted a message of solidarity for Palestine in 2021, tweeting, "My heart and my soul and my support for you Palestine," accompanied by a picture of the Palestinian flag and a peace emoji.

The sports world has witnessed a growing number of athletes and public figures expressing their support for Palestine as the conflict continues, highlighting the global impact of the ongoing situation.