SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego Wave President Jill Ellis called allegations of a poor work environment made by a former employee of the National Women’s Soccer League team both “false” and “personally damaging.”
Ellis released a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday in response to a social media post by Brittany Alvarado, a former video and creative manager for the team. Alvarado called on the NWSL to remove Ellis, the former U.S. national coach.
Alvarado alleged the workplace was discriminatory and said it took a toll on her mental health in a lengthy post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Ellis said mental health concerns are a priority for the club and it has support measures, including an employee assistance program. She added that when allegations of mistreatment have occurred, the team has investigated.
“In addition, when appropriate, independent third parties have assisted us in evaluating our workplace. At no time have those evaluations uncovered any wrongdoing by the club,” Ellis said.
Ellis, who coached the U.S. team to World Cup titles in both 2015 and 2019, added that the Wave is committed to building a strong and unified club.
“What we do is all about fostering a culture of respect, inclusivity, and excellence. The false accusations in (Wednesday's) post are not only personally damaging but also take away from the incredible work and progress we’ve achieved together as a team,” Ellis said in the statement.
The Wave called Alvarado's allegations inaccurate and defamatory. The team said it was looking into possible legal avenues available to address the matter.
Wave forward Alex Morgan, who played for Ellis on both of the World Cup-winning teams, issued a statement on social media in which she said she was disappointed by the allegations.
“As players, we have worked hard to build a team that is surrounded by an inclusive, positive and safe environment,” Morgan said. “But it’s important to me that we are creating that environment for both players AND staff throughout the entire organization. Equity in the workplace is something I have and will continue to advocate for.”
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FILE - United States head coach Jill Ellis waves to the crowd as she leaves the field after an international friendly soccer match between the United States and South Korea, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019, in Chicago. The San Diego Wave called accusations made by a former employee on social media “inaccurate and defamatory” in a statement on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Brittany Alvarado, who says she is a former video and creative manger for the team, called on the National Women's Soccer League to remove to team President Jill Ellis, the former coach of the U.S. women's national team. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski, File)
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Marking nine months since the war in Gaza started, Israeli protesters blocked highways across the country Sunday, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step down and pushing for a cease-fire that could bring back the hostages held by Hamas.
The demonstrations come as international mediators have renewed efforts to broker a deal. Hamas over the weekend appeared to have dropped a key demand for an Israeli commitment to end the war, according to Egyptian and Hamas officials who spoke to The Associated Press.
The war, triggered by the Palestinian militant group following a cross-border attack on Oct. 7, saw 1,200 people killed and 250 others taken hostage. A retaliatory Israeli air and ground offensive has killed over 38,000 Palestinians, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.
Sunday’s “Day of Disruption” started at 6:29 AM, the moment that Hamas militants launched the first rockets toward Israel in October. Protesters blocked main roads and demonstrated outside of the homes of members of Israel’s parliament.
Near the border with Gaza, Israeli protestors released 1,500 black and yellow balloons to symbolize those who were killed and abducted.
Hannah Golan said she came to protest the “devastating abandonment of our communities by our government.” She added: “It’s nine months today, to this black day, and still nobody in our government takes responsibility."
About 120 hostages remain captive after more than 100 hostages were released as part of a November cease-fire deal. Israel has already concluded that more than 40 of the remaining hostages are dead, and fears spread the number may grow as the war drags on.
The Israeli prime minister had previously said while he was open to pausing the war as part of a hostage deal, Israel would press on until it reached its goals of destroying Hamas’ military and governing capabilities and bringing home all those held captive by Hamas.
Meanwhile, fighting in Gaza continued, with nine Palestinians reported dead from Israeli strikes overnight and into the early hours of Sunday.
Six Palestinians were killed in central Gaza after a strike hit a house in the town of Zawaida, according to the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Another Israeli airstrike early Sunday hit a house west of Gaza City, killing another 3 people, the strip’s Hamas-linked civil defense said.
The Gaza Health Ministry said Saturday an Israeli airstrike killed at least 16 people and wounded at least 50 others in a school-turned-shelter in the Nuseirat refugee camp. The Israeli military said they were targeting Hamas militants and had taken “numerous steps” to reduce civilian casualties.
Also Sunday morning, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it launched dozens of projectiles toward northern Israel in the north, targeting areas more than 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border, deeper than most launches.
A 28-year-old Israeli man was seriously wounded in Kfar Zeitim, a small town near the city of Tiberias, Israel’s national rescue service reported.
The barrage came after the Israeli military said in a statement an airstrike targeted a car and killed an engineer in Hezbollah’s air defense unit Saturday. Hezbollah confirmed al-Attar’s death but did not give information on his position.
Near-daily clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces over the past nine months have threatened to turn into an all-out regional war and have catastrophic consequences for people on both sides of the border.
Mediators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar have intensified their efforts in the past week to reach an agreement.
The compromise on Saturday by Hamas could deliver the first pause in fighting since November and set the stage for further talks, though all sides still warned that a deal is not yet guaranteed.
Washington’s phased deal would start with a “full and complete” six-week cease-fire during which older, sick and female hostages would be released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. During those 42 days, Israeli forces would withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza and allow the return of displaced people to their homes in northern Gaza, the officials said.
War-weary Palestinians in the Gaza Strip appeared pessimistic about the possibility of reaching a cease-fire as the Israel-Hamas war marked nine months on Sunday.
“We have lived nine months of suffering,” Heba Radi, a displaced Palestinian woman, told the AP. “The cease-fire has become a distant dream,”
The mother of six children spoke from her tent in the central city of Deir al-Balah where she sheltered after they fled their home in Gaza City.
“Every day, we tell ourselves tomorrow (there will be a cease-fire),” she said, “and tomorrow will be better. And when tomorrow comes, they say (the negotiations) were postponed.”
Zakia Hasanein is an 80-year-old Palestinian woman, who also sheltered in Deir al-Balah, appealed to Netanyahu and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh to agree on a cease-fire, saying they “lived like the dead.”
The Israel-Hamas war has caused widespread damage in Gaza. Israeli restrictions, ongoing fighting and the breakdown of law and order have curtailed humanitarian aid efforts, causing widespread hunger and sparking fears of famine. The top U.N. court has concluded there is a “plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza — a charge Israel strongly denies.
— Magdy reported from Cairo.
Palestinians look at the aftermath of the Israeli airstrike on a U.N.-run school that killed dozens of people in the Nusseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Saher Alghorra)
Palestinians look at the aftermath of the Israeli airstrike on a U.N.-run school that killed dozens of people in the Nusseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Saher Alghorra)
Police disperse demonstrators blocking a road during a protest marking nine months since the start of the war and calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Jerusalem, Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Blood can be seen in the aftermath of the Israeli airstrike on a U.N.-run school that killed dozens of Palestinians in the Nusseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Saher Alghorra)
Police disperse demonstrators blocking a road during a protest calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Jerusalem, Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Israeli soldiers walk in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The Israeli military invited reporters for a tour of Rafah, where the military has been operating since May 6. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool)
Jewish settlers pray in the Eviatar outpost in the Israeli-occupied West Bank during morning prayers calling for the legalization of the outpost and the return of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, Sunday, July 7, 2024. Far-right ministers in Israel’s government have said they want to legalize unauthorized outposts in the West Bank in a sweeping expansion of settlements. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Demonstrators wave Israeli flags during a protest marking nine months since the start of the war and calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip walk next a dark streak of sewage flowing into the streets of the southern town of Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
