Wanderers goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu has issued a statement after withdrawing from the Republic of Ireland squad for Sunday’s Nations League game against Israel.
The 24-year-old has decided not to play the opening group game in Hungary amid concerns over the situation in Gaza.
Bazunu wrote on social media: "Representing my country means everything to me. I have the utmost respect for every single one of my team mates, the manager, his staff and the Irish people.
"However, I have reached a decision that I have not taken lightly. I am a man of strong faith and try my best to be a person of character and principle. Therefore, I feel it would be wrong to participate in the upcoming fixtures against Israel.
"My decision is based purely upon my personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong.
"It is important to note that my stance is not in opposition of the Israeli people or the Jewish community but against the atrocities in the region.
"There are few times where you get a chance in life to stand up for something bigger and I strongly believe that this is one of them."
The game will go ahead after a player vote, the FAI chief executive David Courell has confirmed.
But Bazunu voiced his objection to national team coach Heimir Hallgrímsson on Saturday morning and has refused to back down despite a “significant majority” deciding to press ahead.
Sunday night’s fixture was cast into doubt after Ireland’s public training session and press conference were both delayed.
“The squad was in Pristina yesterday,” Courell said. “An extensive conversation took place where the consensus from the group was to travel to Hungary. It was a two-hour meeting.
"This morning a player expressed their discomfort to the head coach and indicated their intent to withdraw from the squad.
“This new variable required time and deliberation for the squad to consider. What preceded was another four hours on conversation, mainly with players but at times with staff and the executive.
"A lot of positions were presented. We were fully respectful of everyone's right to have their opinion on these topics.
"Ultimately, within the last 90 minutes we carried out a squad vote on fulfilling the fixtures. A significant majority (to play) was the result. The association took the decision to fulfil these fixtures."
Courell also confirmed the Ireland squad will be wearing black armbands “in recognition of all lives lost in the conflict”.
"This affects all of the players,” manager Heimir Hallgrimsson added. “No one is comfortable and probably wasn’t when we went. It is about limiting the damage personally and for Irish football. We need to find some solution on it.
"There is no action we do which everyone will agree to. We don’t know what the consequences will be if we don’t play the game.
"There has been protests from day one for not playing this fixture. I felt that pressure growing day by day. It is almost getting to a breaking limit now.
"When saying what I said, by playing, we are not accepting what is happening. If a player enters the field tomorrow, he is not accepting what is happening in Gaza. If I can share the feelings of the players, they feel like they are doing something wrong playing this game from Ireland.
"That is not a good feeling. We want to make clear we are not supporting anything happening in Gaza, we are playing this fixture because that is the rule of the competition we are in."
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