Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz has criticized Barcelona teenage star Lamine Yamal for waving a Palestinian flag during celebrations of the Spanish league title win, calling the act 'inciting hate'.

The 18-year-old Yamal waved a large Palestinian flag from an open-top bus during a victory parade through Barcelona on Monday. The parade drew about 750,000 people, according to local authorities.

'Lamine Yamal chose to incite hate against Israel while our soldiers combat the terrorist organization Hamas, an organization that massacred, raped and burned Jewish children, women and the elderly on October 7 [2023],' Katz wrote on X on Thursday.

Yamal, who is Muslim, posted pictures of himself holding the flag on his Instagram account. Spain's government and a large part of its population have been highly critical of Israel's genocidal war in Gaza, which has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians.

There has been a global backlash against Israel over the humanitarian toll of the war, spreading to sport and culture. Last year's Spanish Vuelta was repeatedly disrupted by protests against an Israeli-backed cycling team. Spain is also one of five countries boycotting this year's Eurovision Song Contest to protest Israel's inclusion.

Yamal is set to star for Spain at the World Cup in June and July in North America.

Source: www.aljazeera.com