Egyptian and Liverpool football star Mohamed Salah called on Wednesday for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza, pleading for an end to “massacres” in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the ruling Islamist movement in this Palestinian territory. Gaza residents are facing severe shortages as the territory was sealed off following October 7 attacks by Hamas militants on Israeli communities and military posts.
More than 1,400 people were killed in Israel, most of them civilians, on the day of the attack, which is the deadliest targeting Israel since its creation in 1948. In retaliation, Israel relentlessly bombs the small, overpopulated territory of Gaza , where at least 3,478 people were killed, the majority Palestinian civilians, according to local authorities, who do not specify whether this toll also takes into account that of the victims of the Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza.
Winner of the Champions League and the Premier League with Liverpool, the captain of the Egyptian selection, aged 31, is one of the most popular athletes in the Arab world. “It is not always easy to speak in a time like this. There has been too much violence, too much heartbreak and brutality,” Salah said in a video posted to his 62.7 million followers on Instagram. “What is clear now is that humanitarian aid to Gaza must be authorized immediately. The people there are in terrible conditions,” he adds.
He continued: “Gaza residents urgently need food, water and medical supplies. I call on world leaders to unite to prevent further massacres of innocent souls – humanity must prevail. The escalation of recent weeks has been unbearable to watch. All lives are sacred and must be protected. The massacres must stop, families are torn apart,” adds the footballer.
