Egypt’s national football coach Hossam Hassan said that anyone who does not feel the suffering of Palestinians is not human, regardless of nationality. He made the remarks during a press conference ahead of Egypt’s Round of 16 match against Argentina in the FIFA World Cup. Hassan, who had earlier dedicated Egypt’s historic penalty shootout victory over Australia to the people of Palestine, also waved the Palestinian flag on the field, describing it as a natural human reaction.

Hassan emphasized that while people protest animal cruelty worldwide, the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians in missile attacks have become disturbingly normalized. He urged that humanity should come before religion or ethnicity and that everyone should stand with the oppressed. He added that his message through football aligns with FIFA’s call for mutual respect and the right to live with dignity.

According to the report, since the war began on October 7, 2023, Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, leaving many displaced amid destruction. Global protests and solidarity from athletes have followed.