Gazan artists paint mural to honour Spanish footballer Lamine Yamal

Palestinian artists have honoured Spanish footballer Lamine Yamal by painting a mural of the Barcelona star on a destroyed building in Gaza City.

The 18-year-old waved a large Palestinian flag from an open-top bus during his team’s La Liga victory parade through Barcelona on Monday.

Two young local visual artists said it was their way of thanking him for showing solidarity to the Palestinian cause and Gaza.

"The viral video of Lamine Yamal was a great joy for the Palestinian people. It was a beautiful thing. We call on all the celebrities to do the same for Palestine," said visual artist Obay Al Qershalli.

He painted the mural together with his friend and fellow artist, Ahmed Al Halabi, who said the action by the global star was a positive influence.

The two said they faced many challenges making the mural as art materials are expensive in the enclave.

They said they also had to paint it on the rubble as there were no undamaged walls in Gaza following Israel’s intense bombardment of the enclave.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Thursday said Yamal had made the country "proud" for his actions at the parade.

The Spanish government and a large part of its population have been highly critical of Israel’s devastating war in Gaza.

Israel’s defence minister, meanwhile, has criticised the teenage star saying that waving the flag at the parade “incites hate”.

Sanchez, an outspoken critic of Israel who has called its two-year war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza a "genocide", hit back in defence of Yamal.

"Those who think that waving the flag of a state is 'inciting hatred', they have either lost their minds or they have been blinded by their own disgrace," he wrote on X.

"Lamine just expressed the solidarity with Palestine that millions of Spaniards feel. Yet another reason to be proud of him," Sanchez added.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said he "didn't like" Yamal's actions, but accepted that "if he wants to do it, it's his decision".

Relations between Spain and Israel have plummeted since the start of the Gaza war, sparked by the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.

Israel recalled its ambassador after Madrid recognised a Palestinian state in 2024, while Spain formally dismissed its own top envoy in Tel Aviv in March.