NFL Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair Highlights Gaza Children’s Plight Through Weekly Eyeblack Tribute

Al-Shaair’s eyeblack honored Maryam Ghanem, a young girl from Gaza who survived watching her mother perish in an Israeli airstrike.

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair continued his weekly tradition of honoring Palestinian children by featuring the name of Maryam Ghanem on his eyeblack during Sunday’s NFL game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London.

The two-and-a-half-year-old girl became the sole survivor of her family after an Israeli airstrike hit their apartment in Gaza City’s Remal neighborhood early last Wednesday morning. Local journalists rescued Ghanem after discovering her crying amid the rubble, as flames consumed the building.

Hospitalized with severe burns, Ghanem was photographed clutching her doll while telling medical staff, “My hand hurts.” She had already lost her father earlier in Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza.

Despite a US-brokered ceasefire agreement, Israeli airstrikes continue throughout the Gaza Strip. Al-Shaair has persisted in using his platform to draw attention to Palestinian civilian casualties, accepting fines and threats of ejection from games.

“It’s bigger to me; what’s a life worth? Is a life worth $11,000? No, I think it’s priceless,” Al-Shaair told reporters, referencing the league’s $11,491 fine imposed for violating equipment regulations. NBA star Kyrie Irving publicly offered to cover the penalty.

Beginning with five-year-old Hind Rajab on September 13, Al-Shaair has consistently worn names of Palestinian children each Sunday. Prominent Muslim scholar Omar Suleiman praised the athlete’s dedication, calling him an example for others in sports and entertainment.

The NFL’s disciplinary action occurred alongside Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s confirmation that he pressured Ed Sheeran to remove rapper Macklemore from an upcoming tour.

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