Egypt coach at World Cup: Anyone who doesn't feel for Palestinians is "not human"

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."

The war has sparked pro-Palestinian protests around the world, with athletes — including Spain's Lamine Yamal — showing their support.

FIFA said it is permitted to display the Palestinian flag at the World Cup.

"Regardless of religion. ... I am a human before being Arab or anything else. My message, through football, is this: Please, just as FIFA's slogan calls for respect among us, I hope there will be respect for people's right to live," Hassan said.

With a win over Argentina, Egypt would reach the quarterfinals for the first time.

"My dreams have no limits. My ambitions have no limits. I promise that we will do everything to live up to the expectations (of fans)," Hassan said. "We're no underdogs. We're big in every respect. We are a civilization that is 7,000 years old, even more than 7,000 years."

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Associated Press writer Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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