An Israeli football player departs Turkey following his detention due to a statement about Gaza.

After being arrested over the weekend and accused of inciting hatred by displaying a message regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict during a top division game, an Israeli football player departed Turkey on Monday.

When Sagiv Jehezkel, 28, celebrated scoring a goal for Antalyaspor against Trabzonspor on Sunday, he held out a bandage on his wrist that said “100 days. 07/10” next to a Star of David.

Turkish authorities opened a criminal inquiry for alleged “incitement to hate and hostility” and his club tore up the forward’s contract for “exhibiting behaviour that goes against our country’s sensitivities”.

According to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, Jehezkel left Turkey by plane after showing up for court and being given a parole pending his trial.

“Turkey is always on the side of all the oppressed and the Palestinian people,” Yerlikaya said in a social media post.

Israel angrily denounced Jehezkel’s imprisonment, further deteriorating the already tense relations between the two regional giants.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz declared, “Turkey has turned into a dark dictatorship, working against humane values and sports values.” Israel had previously encouraged Israeli residents to leave Turkey out of security concerns.

Yoav Gallant, the Israeli Minister of Defense, charged that Turkey was “behaving like the executive branch of Hamas.”

It was not immediately apparent if the footballer intended to return to Turkey or if he would face charges in absentia.

– ‘I am not pro-war’ –

The note on Jehezkel’s bandage made reference to Sunday, which was the 100th anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war’s commencement.

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