Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny appears to show his support for Palestine in their ongoing conflict with Israel as the Egyptian changes his Instagram profile picture to their flag

Mohamed Elneny appeared to show his support for Palestine as the Egyptian midfielder’s Instagram profile picture was replaced with that of his flag.

This comes after Hamas terrorists launched rocket strikes on Israel and invaded parts of the country, killing civilians and kidnapping others, followed by rapid reprisals later.

Elneny’s change to his profile comes just days after teammate Oleksandr Zinchenko decided to restrict his Instagram account to the public after being targeted by online social media trolls after posting that he “stands by side of Israel.

Egyptian international Elneny, 31, had already posted a message of support for Palestine in 2021, tweeting: “My heart, my soul and my support for you, Palestine”, followed by a photo of the Palestinian flag and a peace emoji.

Arsenal confirmed at the time that they had spoken to Elneny about the “wider implications” of his pro-Palestinian social media post, which sparked concern from club sponsor Lavazza.

Mohamed Elneny’s Instagram account now has a Palestinian flag as its profile photo

Elneny, who has 5.4 million followers on Instagram, appears to have shown support for Palestine

This comes amid the ongoing conflict with Israel, where Hamas terrorists are launching rocket attacks into Israel and invading parts of the country.

They said Sky Sports News at the time: “Like all Arsenal employees, our players have the right to express their views on their own platforms.

“That said, we spoke to Mo about it so he understands the broader implications of his message.

“As a club we are committed to combating and eliminating all forms of discrimination and continue to champion the need for equality and diversity in all areas of life.”

According to the Jewish Chronicle, the post angered Jewish Arsenal fans because it included an image titled “Palestine Lives Matter”, which featured an overview of Israel filled with pro-Palestinian images.

Elneny has made 156 appearances for Arsenal since joining the club in January 2016 from Swiss club Basel. This season he only featured briefly in a Carabao Cup clash with Brentford after recovering from a knee injury and being a substitute used in recent matches with Tottenham and Bournemouth.

Zinchenko, meanwhile, has been a voice of support for his home country Ukraine in the ongoing conflict with Russia, after Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion that began in February of the ‘last year.

The Arsenal defender demonstrated his unity with Israel in the same way to many world leaders by posting an image on his Instagram story.

Showing the Star of David – a religious symbol recognized by the Jewish community which is Israel’s main religion – the updated story read: “I stand with Israel.”

Elneny’s profile change comes days after Oleksandr Zinchenko showed support for Israel

The Ukrainian posted this on Instagram, stating that he “stands with Israel”, although he ended up restricting his account following comments on the social network.

However, his post opened the floodgates to anonymous attackers who targeted Zinchenko with outrageous lines that show the dark side of social media.

Zinchenko therefore decided to restrict her Instagram account.

Other footballers have previously weighed in on the Israel-Palestine feud, with Riyad Mahrez, Mohamed Salah and Mesut Ozil making public statements on social media two years ago calling for an end to military violence in the region.

Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather was the latest name to voice his support, writing on Instagram: “I stand with Israel against Hamas terrorists. Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people but is a terrorist group that attacks innocent lives!

“I stand for all humans and wish for the safe return of all Americans, Israelis and every human being who was kidnapped as hostage during these horrific war crimes.”

Floyd Mayweather said on social media that he “stands with Israel against Hamas terrorists.”

Meanwhile, an Israeli defense official promised that Gaza would become a “tent city” and every building would be razed as the country’s army lines up on the border.

In the early hours of Wednesday, Israeli forces carried out 250 airstrikes in just one hour in the northern and eastern parts of the Gaza Strip in revenge for Hamas terrorist attacks.

An IDF spokesperson said they were sending “infantry, armored troops, artillery corps,” as well as 300,000 reservists “near the Gaza Strip to carry out the mission entrusted to us by the Israeli government.

In Israel, the death toll from Saturday’s attack rose to 1,200, making it the deadliest attack in the country’s 75-year history, while Gaza officials reported more than 900 people killed as Israel pounded territory with airstrikes.

Mail Sport has contacted Arsenal for comment.