‘Let Palestinians live’: Egypt coach wins global praise after emotional speech

‘Let Palestinians live’: Egypt coach wins global praise after emotional speech Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 07/07/2026 - 16:19 Hossam Hassan said his support for Palestinians came from being 'human' before any identity or religion Head coach Hossam Hassan of Egypt speaks during a press conference one day ahead of the Fifa World Cup 2026 round of sixteen between Argentina and Egypt at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on 6 July 2026 (Alejandro Pagni/Getty Images/AFP) Off Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan sparked widespread praise on social media after delivering an emotional speech supporting Palestinians during a Fifa World Cup press conference on Monday, ahead of Egypt’s match against Argentina. Speaking in Arabic, Hassan said: “If there is one person in the world who does not feel for the Palestinian people, then he is not a human being,” adding that this applied regardless of whether the person was “Arab, European, American or anything else”. He criticised global indifference to the suffering of Palestinians, saying that while people often mobilise when an animal is harmed, “every day human beings are killed in their thousands, children and women”.