"My values matter more than money:" Norwegian footballer rejects €850,000 Israeli club offer

Norwegian footballer Ole Sæter, who is also eligible to play for Pakistan, has made a bold step by rejecting an astounding €850,000 offer from an Israeli football club.

The 28-year-old striker said that his decision to turn offer from Maccabi Haifa was driven by his commitment to humanity over money.

"Even if I were offered 500 million dollars, I would not join an Israeli club. For me, it's not about the money; my values matter more. I cannot represent a country that perpetuates violence and insecurity," Sæter said in an interview with a Norwegian newspaper.

The sportsman further said that he doesn't want money that comes from the suffering of Palestinian people.

"People in that region are living in fear in their own homes, and I cannot in good conscience accept such blood money, no matter how large the sum."

"I am confident in where my values take me, and I stand by what I believe is right. No amount of money can buy my conscience," Sæter asserted.

Over 41,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, including 16,456 children and 11,000 women in Israeli military offensives in Gaza since October 7.

Almost 95,497 have been injured in Israel’s war on Gaza for eleven months.

The United Nations (UN) reported that two-thirds of buildings across the Gaza Strip have been "damaged or destroyed." Israeli attacks have also killed at least 270 aid workers.

The restrictions on food, water, medicine, and fuel supplies have exacerbated the situation in Gaza.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) directed Israel to ensure basic services and humanitarian aid delivery in the besieged enclave.

The Palestinian government's information office reported that almost 1.7 million Gazans have been displaced due to relentless air and artillery strikes by the Israeli military.

Thousands of children in Gaza have been diagnosed with malnutrition, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Earlier, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) head Cindy McCain said people in Gaza are starving to death.

The WFP estimated that around 1.1 million people are "struggling with catastrophic hunger and starvation" due to Israel's severe restrictions on food, water, medicine, and fuel supplies to the besieged enclave.