Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has said that families grieving for their loved ones in Gaza should not be forgotten, as he issued an emotional Christmas message marking only his second comment on the conflict, Reuters reports.

Salah posted a black-and-white picture of a Christmas tree on his social media pages, saying he was approaching Christmas with a heavy heart amid the fighting in Gaza.

“With the brutal war going on in the Middle East, especially the death and destruction in Gaza, this year we get to Christmas with very heavy hearts and we share the pain of those families who are grieving the loss of their loved ones,” Salah said.

“Please do not forget them and do not get used to their suffering. Merry Christmas,” Salah wrote to his more than 63 million followers on Instagram and almost 19 million on X.