Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has donated $1.5 million to feed the fasting people in the Gaza Strip against the backdrop of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Press TV reported. While Ronaldo himself hasn't yet commented on the claim, the news on the alleged donation was initially published on 14 May by Albanian media outlets without any confirmation from the footballer's team.
When a fact-checking site contacted Ronaldo's management agency, they confirmed that the report was false, "like many other stories about Ronaldo".
Twitter, however, was quick to react to the news.
As some users lauded the striker's humanitarian efforts, they made mention of other celebrities that, in their opinion, fell short in this respect.
The Juventus star striker has never hid the fact that he is pro-Palestinian, expressing his support for Palestinians several times in the past.
In 2012 the 28-year-old star gave away his Golden Boot Award to the Real Madrid foundation, which subsequently auctioned it off to raise money for building schools in the Palestinian Authority.
In 2013, he refused to swipe t-shirts with an Israeli player in a display of support for Palestinian rights.
Although he did shake hands, he excused himself by explaining that he could not wear a shirt with that country’s flag, press reported.
The incident occurred at the end of the match between Portugal and Israel for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.
A 5-year-old boy Ahmad Daubasha — sole survivor of a Palestinian family attacked by Israeli settlers, was received by Ronaldo in 2016 at the Real Madrid training center, where he photographed himself with the boy, giving him a specially-dedicated t-shirt.
Palestinians have held weekly rallies along the Gaza border to protest the siege on the enclave and demand the right for refugees to return to their homes they fled during the 1948 creation of Israel.
Pro-Palestinian celebrities range from longtime activists to musicians to younger stars, calling for boycotts of artistic and scientific gatherings, divestment from Israeli businesses, etc.
The Portuguese star is known as one of the most involved in humanitarian work around the world.
Correction: This article has been updated to highlight that the claim hasn't been confirmed by Ronaldo nor his representatives