Pep Guardiola condemns Gaza devastation, backs UNRWA

• Football manager Pep Guardiola released an UNRWA Spain video calling for urgent international solidarity with Palestinians.
• Guardiola stressed Gaza's victims are "not numbers" or "collateral damage," but murdered children and devastated families.
• The manager praised UNRWA's 75-year role and urged public support for its aid delivery and preservation of Palestinian history.

Football manager Pep Guardiola has issued an impassioned video message in collaboration with UNRWA Spain, urging the global community to stand in active solidarity with Palestine and support relief efforts amid ongoing military devastation in Gaza.

In the video released by the UN agency, Guardiola urged viewers to reject dehumanizing language and call the conflict's toll by its true name.

"They are not dead, they are murdered people. These are not numbers," Guardiola stated. "They are not collateral damage. They are girls and boys. And when we stop calling things by their names, when we accept a language that hides the pain, we begin to lose our humanity."

Guardiola highlighted the extreme hardship faced by civilians in Gaza, describing children searching for their parents among the rubble, enduring hunger, and facing displacement.

He condemned the 'Israeli' government's ongoing actions, citing over 74,000 casualties in Gaza, the obstruction of humanitarian aid, and home demolitions and forced displacements across the West Bank.

"Silence is a way of taking sides"

Throughout his address, Guardiola stressed that Palestinian suffering is not new, noting that millions of refugees have endured decades of displacement, loss, and trauma while maintaining remarkable resilience.

"No people should spend entire generations proving their ability to endure suffering," Guardiola said. "And no childhood should grow up learning to survive before learning to live."

Guardiola championed the vital role of UNRWA, noting that the agency has accompanied Palestinian refugees for over 75 years by providing healthcare, education, and protection, while preserving their history and rights.

He warned against remaining silent in the face of widespread destruction and aid blockades.

"Silence today is a way of taking sides. But we cannot look the other way," Guardiola concluded. "Palestine matters, and Palestine needs justice and peace. Please, if you can, support UNRWA so we can continue delivering aid to those who need it most."