German football club decides to part ways with El Ghazi over "from river to sea" comment

German football club Mainz has ultimately terminated the contract of Dutch forward player, Anwar El Ghazi following weeks of conflict regarding his social media posts about the Israel-Hamas war.

As reported by the German Sport1, the announcement by Mainz came two days after El Ghazi disputed the club’s version of events when it lifted an earlier suspension. German news agency dpa reported on November 4 that prosecutors in the city of Koblenz were also investigating the case.

The club originally suspended El Ghazi on October 17, saying he had posted and then deleted a message that included the phrase "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free", a slogan interpreted by many as a call for the destruction of Israel, while others say it appeals for equality for Israelis and Palestinians.

Last week, the club said his suspension was lifted and that he would receive a reprimand, saying that El Ghazi “regrets publishing the post and also was remorseful about its negative impact”. However, on November 2 El Ghazi made another social media post, indicating that the club had issued its apologetic statement without his permission.

“I do not regret or have any remorse for my position”, the player wrote, reiterating that “I do not distance myself from what I said and I stand, today and always until my last breath, for humanity and the oppressed”.