Adidas Arabia, a regional branch of German sportswear company Adidas, apologized Monday over an advertising campaign featuring a former Israeli soldier, as the company’s global and other regional social media accounts made no similar public statement amid boycott calls over the campaign.

The company featured Shalev Biton, who lost his left leg after being wounded while serving in the Israeli army in 2021, in a campaign promoting its Single Shoe service.

"We recognize that an image used in a recent local campaign has raised concerns and strong reactions," Adidas Arabia said in a statement.

"It was not our intention in any way to cause offense, and we apologize to everyone affected by this," it said, adding they were treating the reactions "with the utmost seriousness."

The apology was issued through Adidas Arabia’s local social media accounts, rather than through the German company’s global channels. As of Monday, Adidas’ main global accounts and other regional accounts had not issued a similar apology or public statement addressing criticism over the campaign, which featured an amputee who had served in the Israeli army amid Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.

Regional Adidas account with fewer than 1.5 million followers issues apology after backlash, while company’s main account, followed by more than 30 million, has made no public reference to the controversy.

Biton was one of 11 disabled athletes featured on posters displayed at Adidas stores in Israel.

Pro-Palestinian activists criticized the decision to include a former Israeli soldier in a campaign centered on amputees, contrasting the promotion with the thousands of Palestinians who have lost limbs during Israel’s war on Gaza.

According to estimates published in May by the World Health Organization (WHO), Gaza has recorded more than 5,000 traumatic limb amputations and over 22,000 major extremity injuries since October 2023. Up to a quarter of those with life-changing injuries were children. (AA)