Anyone who doesn’t feel for Palestinians is not human: Egypt coach Hassan
Egypt national team coach Hossam Hassan used a World Cup press conference to speak out for Palestinians in Gaza, criticizing global indifference.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan delivered an impassioned plea for the Palestinian people during a press conference on Monday, ahead of his team's round-of-16 match against Argentina at the World Cup. Speaking for over four minutes, he received applause from journalists.
“If there is anyone in the world who does not feel for the Palestinian people, then they are not human — whether they are Arab, European, or American,” Hassan said. He cited the death toll in Gaza since October 7: at least 73,066 killed, including 20,179 children, and 463 deaths from starvation, including 157 children.
Asked why he waved the Palestinian flag after Egypt’s penalty shootout win over Australia, Hassan called it “simply a human reaction.” He contrasted global outrage over animal cruelty with indifference to mass deaths from missiles.
“It has become normal to hear that two or three thousand people die in a single day because of a missile,” he said. Hassan stressed that his message through football is about respect for the right to live, echoing FIFA’s slogan of respect.
Regarding the match against defending champions Argentina, Hassan admitted his team is not the favorite but insisted they are not afraid. “We know we are playing against one of the greatest players ever [Messi], but we do not fear them. We have a responsibility towards Egypt, the Arab world, and Africa,” he added.
