German sportswear manufacturer Puma announced on Tuesday that it would terminate its sponsorship deal with the Israeli national football team. This decision was made prior to the outbreak of the war in Gaza. As part of a strategic review conducted at the end of 2022, Puma will cease to supply the Israeli team with outfits from next year, according to the company's statement.

A Puma spokeswoman stated that while new national teams, including a new statement team, will be revealed later this year and in 2024, the contracts of certain federations such as Serbia and Israel will expire in 2024. The decisions regarding these sponsorships were made in 2022, aligning with the regular timelines for the design and development of team jerseys.

The sponsorship deal with Israel, which was initiated in 2018, sparked calls to boycott the sportswear brand. Critics accused Puma of endorsing illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank through its association with the Israeli Football Association, which includes teams from the occupied Palestinian territory.

The conflict in October between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has amplified longstanding calls to boycott products that support Israel. The war was triggered by an unprecedented attack by Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip against Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the taking of around 240 hostages, with 137 still held in Gaza, according to Israeli officials.

In response, Israel pledged to dismantle Hamas and initiated intense bombardments and a ground offensive in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least 18,200 people, predominantly women and children, as reported by the Hamas-run health ministry.

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