Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola, has spoken on the ongoing Gaza War between Israel and Palenstine during his acceptance speech at the University of Manchester where he received an honorary doctorate on Monday.
54-year-old Guardiola was recognised by the institution for his contribution to the city of Manchester, including guiding his team to six Premier League titles in nine years, along with his charitable work through his Guardiola Sala Foundation.
“It’s so painful what we see in Gaza. It hurts my whole body,” Guardiola said. “It’s not about ideology. It’s not about whether I’m right, or you’re wrong. It’s just about the love of life, about the care of your neighbour.”
The City manager added, “Maybe we think that we see the boys and girls of four years old being killed by the bomb or being killed at the hospital because it’s not a hospital anymore. It’s not our business. But be careful. The next four- or five-year-old kids will be ours.”
War broke out between Israel and Palestine after Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, in the October 7, 2023 attack. According to health authorities in Gaza, Israel’s military campaign has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians.