The globally renowned Liverpool and Egyptian footballer, Mohamed Salah, recently donned the colors of Egypt in a friendly match against Algeria. However, he didn’t let the stardust of international football deter him from using his prestigious platform to address pressing global issues. Unveiling his humanitarian side, Salah made an impassioned plea to all the world leaders, urging them to unify in order to halt an immediate crisis – the escalating conflict in Israel-Gaza.
Health reports trickling in suggest that Gaza City perched on the edge of devastation, experienced a colossal explosion at a packed hospital on a fateful Tuesday night, wrecking havoc and claiming hundreds of lives. Echoing the collective horror, Salah, in his early 30s, categorically emphasized the urgency for immediate humanitarian aid to Gaza. “The scale of violence, brutality, and heartbreak is unacceptable,” said the Egyptian forward.
Palestinian authorities attribute the root of this catastrophic event to an Israeli air strike on Al-Ahli Arab Hospital. However, the Israeli military refutes these claims, arguing instead that it was simply the backlash of a botched rocket launch attempt by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The militant group has, in turn, disregarded this accusation completely.
In the aftermath of a groundbreaking assault on Israel on the 7th of October, orchestrated by the primary Palestinian militant group, Hamas, Israeli warplanes have been relentlessly attacking Gaza. The previously mentioned assault was responsible for ending the lives of approximately 1,400 individuals. With over 3,000 lives lost to air strikes in Gaza, the area is enveloped in terror and uncertainty.
“Horrifying” – that was how Salah categorized the images emerging from the beleaguered hospital. In a video he later posted, Salah expressed a sentiment that is universal, “Gaza is in desperate need of food, water, and medical supplies. Every life matters and it demands protection. We need to end these massacres. Numerous families are being uprooted. I urge world leaders to stop the blatant slaying of innocent lives. Humanity must triumph.”
In a related development, the Algerian football federation declared the suspension of all football competitions on Wednesday as a symbol of support and solidarity to their Palestinian counterparts. The decision arrived in spite of a previous agreement to play host to the upcoming games involving the Palestine national team, following a request made by the Palestinian Football Association.
