Hedge fund manager Steven Eisman, known for a big winning bet against the US housing market dramatized in the movie The Big Short, was put on leave by his firm on Friday after he said on social media he was celebrating devastation in the Gaza Strip.

His firm, Neuberger Berman, said Eisman did not speak on its behalf and called his actions "objectionable."

The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry has said that more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's nearly year-old war in the enclave.

An X user posted that the world was silent about war-ravaged Gaza. Eisman responded: "You must be kidding. We are not silent. We are celebrating." His account has since been deleted.

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Eisman could not immediately be contacted. In comments cited by media reports, he apologized for his remarks and said he had intended to refer to Israel's attacks on the Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon.

A Neuberger Berman spokesperson distanced the firm from Eisman's comments.

"Even though Mr. Eisman has acknowledged that he mistook the content of the post he responded to, his actions on social media were irresponsible and objectionable," the company spokesperson added. Eisman joined the firm in 2014.