At the World Cup, Egypt coach says anyone who doesn't feel for Palestinian people is 'not human'

ATLANTA (AP) — Egypt coach Hossam Hassan broke away from discussing his team’s upcoming World Cup round of 16 match against Argentina to give an impassioned monologue about the plight of the Palestinian people.Hassan, who waved a Palestinian flag after Egypt’s victory over Australia in the last round, spoke for more than four minutes on the subject on Monday and was applauded by many of the assembled media.“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 at news conference to preview Egypt’s game against defending champion Argentina on Tuesday.More than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, largely displaced and living amid ruins, face uncertainty after a war that began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel’s retaliation has killed a total of 73,066 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

“Everywhere in the world, including in Europe or America, if someone hurts an animal, we see animal rights being defended and the whole world reacts,” Hassan said. “It has become normal to hear that two or three thousand people die in a single day because of a missile.”