An Israeli footballer at the centre of a row over a gesture of solidarity with hostages in Gaza he made during a match in Turkey has returned to Israel.

The 28-year-old player, who signed for Antalyaspor in September, was celebrating an equaliser in a Turkish Super Lig match when he held up his bandaged hand that read "100 days.

Sunday marked 100 days since Hamas launched its deadly attacks on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mainly civilians.

After Sunday’s incident, Turkey’s Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said an investigation had been launched into the player’s “ugly action supporting Israel’s massacre in Gaza”.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long been a staunch supporter of the Palestinians, including Hamas, and has been highly critical of Israel’s conduct in Gaza.

According to local media, Jehezkel gave a statement through a translator saying he did not “make a move to provoke”, but wanted the war to end.

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