MOHAMED Salah has urged all parties involved to end the bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas that has led to the loss of thousands of lives in Israel and Palestine, especially Gaza.
The Egypt and Liverpool forward made the plea in a short video posted on his social media accounts last night, describing what is currently happening in Gaza as a ‘massacre’.
The 31-year-old, who is a cult hero in his homeland but had been criticised for staying silent amid the continuous shedding of blood, added that humanitarian aid must immediately be allowed into the besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
The Gaza health ministry said at least 3,478 Palestinians have been killed and 12,065 injured in Israeli air strikes on Gaza since October 7, the day Palestinian militant group Hamas stormed into Israeli towns, killing 1,400 people and taking hundreds of hostages.
Reuters reported that on Tuesday, Egyptian trucks carrying aid to Gaza moved closer to the Rafah border crossing but it was unclear when or whether they would be able to cross into the enclave, with Egypt looking to get security guarantees from Israel after the border area was shelled four times.
The Israeli government said on Wednesday that Israel will not stop aid entering Gaza from Egypt, but that supplies will not be allowed to reach Hamas.
“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,” Salah said.
“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.”
Egyptians intensified their criticism of Salah’s silence when a blast at a Gaza hospital killed hundreds of Palestinians on Tuesday as Hamas and Israel traded blame over who was responsible.
“The scenes at the hospital last night were horrifying. The people of Gaza need food, water and medical supplies urgently,” Salah added.
“I’m calling on the world leaders to come together to prevent further slaughter of innocent souls. Humanity must prevail.”
Salah is one of the most recognisable footballers in the world, with 18.6 million followers on X (formerly known as Twitter) and almost 63 million on Instagram.
