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28 March 2024

Weeks after Facebook post on Gaza conflict, Lionel Messi under fire

(FILE) Barcelona's Lionel Messi carries his son Thiago. Messi said as a father he was saddened by images coming from the conflict between Israel and Palestine. (REUTERS)

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By Staff

Barcelona footballer front man Lionel Messi has been dragged into the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, two weeks after the Argentinian defended rights of Gaza children in a Facebook post.

Messi wrote that he was "deeply saddened" by the loss of young lives with a photo of an injured Palestinian boy.

The footballer defended rights of children in conflict areas, especially in the Gaza Strip where a month of fighting has claimed nearly 1,900 Palestinian lives.

“As a father and a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, I am terribly saddened by the images coming from the conflict between Israel and Palestine, where violence has already claimed so many young lives and to injure countless children,” Messi wrote on August 7 on his official Facebook page.

Messi, “Children did not create this conflict, but they are paying the ultimate price,” and urged that “this cycle of senseless violence must stop. We must reflect on the consequences of military conflicts and children must be protected.”

But Israeli social media users have exhorted Messi to acknowledge the death of Daniel Tregaron, a four-year-old Messi fan who was killed by a mortar fired from Gaza.

Tregaron was the first Israeli child to be killed since the beginning of the Operation Protective Edge on July 8.

Daniel's images on social media show him wearing a Messi jersey.

Seeking a response from Messi, Israelis shared photos of the four-year-old in his Messi jersey, and tagged the soccer player.

"Hey Leo Messi, take a look at that boy, wearing the national jersey of the best player in the world," Liran Cohen wrote in a Facebook post, tagging Messi and FC Barcelona.

On Twitter, Lior Vaknin, along with many others, shared photos of Tregerman, also making sure to tag Messi. "Daniel was killed by a terror organisation...," a post read.

"The mortar that killed Tregerman was fired by Hamas, the terrorist organisation that rules Gaza.

At least 2,097 Palestinians have been killed while on the Israeli side 68 people have died so far.