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Martina Navratilova has once again used her social media platforms to criticize Israeli strikes in Gaza. The Israelis carried out extensive strikes on the Gaza Strip on March 18, with the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza claiming up to 400 Palestinian civilians were killed, according to bbc.com.
The new wave of attacks represents the largest wave of strikes since a ceasefire was agreed on January 19. The BBC report stated that Israel claimed the attacks were a response to Hamas's refusal to release the remaining hostages in their care, and their rejection of peace proposals being negotiated by the US and other nations.
18-time Major winner Navratilova has long been a critic of the Israeli government's handling of the Palestinian issue. Lebanese diplomat and UN representative Mohamad Safa posted about the attacks on his X (formerly Twitter) account, writing:
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"Gaza is being decimated, there is nowhere left to go. Israel is now bombing more than 1.7 million civilians trapped in Gaza. A massacre is happening in Gaza right now and the world is silent."
Navratilova's three-word response summed up her feelings on the matter:
"What the hell?????"
Navratilova was not the only tennis icon to comment on the attacks. Ons Jabeur, the two-time Major finalist from Tunisia, also used her Instagram stories to highlight the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza.
Navratilova has been a constant critic of the war. A leading liberal voice in the US, she often posts to her 456,000 X followers, giving her opinion on a range of topics, including politics, social issues, and sports.
Martina Navratilova believes that Israeli strikes in Gaza amount to war crimes
Navratilova is a staunch critic of the new US government and of Donald Trump in particular. She's also a supporter of LGBTQ rights, and women's rights generally.
The situation in Gaza appears to be close to the 67-year-old's heart. Navratilova is a Czech-born naturalized US citizen, so she understands how it feels to be displaced. Last year, she reacted to an Israeli airstrike that struck a school in Khan Younis, which was supposedly designated a safe zone. 25 people were killed, including one entire family.
Incensed by Israel's actions, Navratilova could not help using her X account to express her dismay, and to accuse the Israelis of being war criminals. She posted:
"This is so wrong, criminal in fact. How are these strikes not war crimes???"
Martina Navratilova's contribution to tennis is well-established. She was World No. 1 for 332 weeks and pocketed 167 singles and 177 doubles titles in more than 30 years on tour.
