Israeli football captain filmed shooting grenade in southern Lebanon

The Captain of the Israeli football team Hapoel Hadera was filmed shooting a grenade alongside fellow soldiers with the Israeli army as part of their incursion into southern Lebanon. Israeli Channel 14 aired the footage of Menashe Zalka on Saturday, later sharing it to social media. The footage sparked criticism of Fifa, the international football governing body, following a report shared by Al Jazeera. There have long been calls for the Israeli Football Association (IFA) to be banned, which were amplified following the onset of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in 2023. The Palestinian Football Association has complained to Fifa, documenting the IFA’s inclusion of teams from illegally occupied land in the West Bank, the racist and discriminatory behaviour of officials and players, as well as the involvement of players in potential war crimes across Israel’s wars in the region. The video of Zalka raises questions as to the lack of consequences for soldiers who are able to return to sporting competitions after their potential involvement in violating international law. Since Hezbollah resumed attacks against Israel following the US-Israeli war on Iran, Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,200 people and a million have been displaced. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said last week that Israel plans to occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani river. Support stories that matter. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR0fZh5SBxxMNYdg0VzRFkg/join Catch previous episodes of MEE LIVE, our biweekly news programme exploring the stories shaping our world through breaking coverage, expert analysis, and hard-hitting interviews. Originally airing Tuesdays & Thursdays at 12pm ET | 5pm BST Got a story tip or question? Reach us at [email protected] Subscribe to our channel: http://ow.ly/AVlW30n1OWH Subscribe to MEE Telegram channel to stay up to date: https://t.me/MiddleEastEye_TG Middle East Eye Website: https://middleeasteye.net Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@middleeasteye Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/MiddleEastEye Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/MiddleEastEye Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye