Gary Lineker has claimed he cries "on a regular basis" when he sees images of Gaza online in an emotional interview amid Israel's ongoing military response in Rafah.
Speaking to Guardian columnist and former Al-Jazeera presenter Mehdi Hasan on his show "Mehdi Unfiltered", Lineker said the crisis was "the worst thing I've seen in my lifetime".
The Match of the Day presenter said: "I've seen so many images of children. I've got no skin in this game - I'm not Muslim, I'm not Jewish, I'm not Israeli, I'm not Palestinian.
"So, I see purely from the outside from a neutral perspective.
Lineker vowed he "can't be silent about what's happening"
Zeteo/Getty
"I can't think of anything that I've seen worse in my lifetime. The constant images of children losing their lives, day in, day out.
"Obviously, we all know October 7 happened, but the minute you raise your voice against what they're [Israel] now doing there, you get accused of being a supporter of Hamas or all this kind of stuff."
Lineker vowed to continue speaking out about the conflict, adding: "There's a lot of heavy lobbying on people to be quiet, so I understand why most people refrain.
"But I'm getting on a bit now, I'm fairly secure, and I can't be silent about what's happening. I think it's just so, so utterly awful.
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Lineker's remarks came as families were forced to flee the embattled Gazan city of Rafah
Reuters
"And now it looks like it already looks like it's happening, going into Rafah, where they've sent everybody down there."
Lineker was referencing Israel's ongoing ground offensive in the city of Rafah, a settlement on the Gaza Strip's Egyptian border, where just today, thousands of Palestinian families were evacuating on Israeli orders.
He also shut down claims that criticising Israel's military action amounted to antisemitism, saying: "It's not antisemitic to say that what Israel is doing is wrong - I just can't see how everybody doesn't see it that way now.
"Whatever the cause, whatever started it - we all know that the history of this area of the world goes way before October 7... It's truly dreadful what's happening.
"I cry on a regular basis when I see certain images on social media."
This isn't the first time the ex-footballer has spoken out on the Middle East; when presenting the BBC's coverage of the Qatar World Cup in 2022 - a tournament which he called "the most controversial in history".
Lineker had flagged concerns about gay rights, women's rights, freedom of speech and migrant workers on live television in a defiant monologue in which he declared he would not abide by Fifa's edict to "stick to football".
And earlier this year, he reposted a series of images online calling for a ban on Israel's participation in international football and an "urgent stance" by the football associations on Israel's alleged "grave violations of international law".
