Star footballer El Ghazi donates nearly $600K to Gaza children’s projects

Anwar El Ghazi, who had his contract terminated by Bundesliga club Mainz 05 for supporting Palestine, has announced that he will donate 500,000 euros ($560,175) of the settlement money he received from the German club to projects for children in Gaza.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Dutch footballer of Moroccan descent revealed that he will use part of his compensation to improve the lives of Gazan children, thanking Mainz 05 for providing the funds.

El Ghazi clarified that his legal action against Mainz was not about the money but about standing up for his beliefs. He also noted that Mainz 05 had tried to silence him by terminating his contract, which only strengthened his voice for the oppressed in Gaza.

The Mainz Labor Court had previously ruled that El Ghazi’s dismissal over a pro-Palestinian Instagram post was “invalid,” affirming that his statements fell under freedom of expression and did not constitute grounds for termination.

The court ordered Mainz 05 to continue paying his monthly salary of 150,000 euros and to reinstate him.