Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah issued a plea on Wednesday, urging an end to what he characterized as “massacres” in Gaza. He stressed the immediate need of permitting humanitarian aid into the besieged Palestinian territory. In a video message shared on his social media accounts, Salah broke his week-long silence on the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, addressing criticism from his native Egypt.
Since October 7, the Gaza health ministry reported that Israeli air strikes have resulted in at least 3,478 Palestinian fatalities and 12,065 injuries. This came after the day when the Palestinian militant group Hamas entered Israeli towns, leading to the loss of 1,400 lives and the taking of hundreds of hostages.
On Tuesday, Egyptian aid convoys reached closer to the Rafah border crossing with Gaza, although it remained uncertain when or if they would be allowed to enter the enclave. Egypt sought security guarantees from Israel following four shelling incidents near the border area.
The Israeli government on Wednesday announced that it would not impede aid deliveries from Egypt to Gaza but clarified that the supplies would not reach Hamas.
Salah said, “It’s not always easy to speak in time like this, there has been too much violence and too much heartbreaking brutality … All lives are sacred and must be protected… The massacres need to stop; families are being torn apart. What’s clear now is that humanitarian aid to Gaza must be allowed immediately. The people there are in terrible conditions.”
