England legend Paul Gascoigne used to think stories on Gaza Strip were about him

Paul Gascoigne once feared hearing about the Gaza Strip on the news – because he thought they were walking about him.

The iconic former England, Newcastle and Tottenham playmaker has been nicknamed Gazza throughout his life and career, which is just one letter away from the Palestinian territory that borders Israel. The current conflict has seen Gascoigne's comments resurface.

Speaking before a documentary about his life back in 2015, he said: "Sometimes it's got to the stage now where I hate Saturday nights, because jack s*** knows what's coming in the papers on Sunday.

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"I tell you what was the worst one, the Gaza Strip. You know the term the Gaza Strip, remember that? That was murder for me.

"I'd be sitting there having a shave and that, and the news would come on, 'And the Gazza…', and I'd be like, 'What's that?!', and I realised it was the Gaza Strip. I couldn't wait for that to end."

On October 7, the Islamic Resistance Movement, known as Hamas, launched a large-scale invasion of Israel from the Gaza Strip. The first direct conflict within Israel's boundaries since 1948 involved targeted attacks on civilians including a massacre at a music festival that left more than 260 dead.

Tottenham forward Manor Solomon, an Israeli, has since taken to social media to share his fears over his family and friends.

He said: "In the past two days my country, my family, my friends and my beloved people have been going through hell.

"Over 800 Israelis have been murdered – the most murdered in one day since the Holocaust! Over 150 people have been kidnapped – including women, children, babies and elderly people."

It has also been announced that former Apollon Limassol and Hapoel Tel Aviv centre-forward Lior Asulin was killed in the festival massacre.

Hapoel Tel Aviv wrote on X: “With great sadness, after many hours when he was declared missing, we have been informed that our former player Lior Asulin was murdered by terrorists at the party in Re’im,”

"The Hapoel Tel Aviv club bows its head and sends condolences and strength to Lior’s family at this difficult time.”

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