We have left them alone, abandoned: Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola on Gaza crisis
Barcelona: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on Thursday delivered a strongly worded speech condemning what he described as the “silence of global leaders” over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying Palestinians had been “left alone and abandoned”.
Guardiola was speaking at the ‘Act X Palestine’ benefit concert held at the Palau Sant Jordi arena in Barcelona, his birth city. The event was organised to raise funds for humanitarian aid and cultural reconstruction in Palestine.
Addressing a packed audience, the Catalan coach took to the stage draped in a traditional black-and-white scarf and opened his remarks with “Good evening”, followed by the Islamic greeting “Assalamualaikum”. Known for his outspoken views on human rights issues, Guardiola said the images emerging from Gaza over the past two years had deeply affected him, particularly those involving children separated from or searching for their parents amid the destruction.
Referring to widely circulated videos and photographs, he spoke about children recording themselves from beneath rubble and asking where their mothers were, saying many of them still do not know whether their parents are alive. According to international media reports, Guardiola described the situation as the result of “decades of oppression” and criticised world leaders for failing to act.
“I think we have left them alone, abandoned,” he said, adding that Palestinians must be wondering why the world has not come to help them. He accused powerful nations of hypocrisy, saying leaders who remain safe in comfort are willing to send innocent people to kill other innocent people. “The powerful are cowards,” he said, drawing sustained applause from the audience.
Guardiola underlined that his remarks were rooted in basic human values. “All of this is simply about humanity,” he said, adding that humanity, in his view, was precisely what was missing in the response to Palestine. He concluded his brief but emotional address by urging the audience to reflect on the message and work towards a more just and compassionate society.
During the speech, Guardiola reportedly drew parallels between the devastation in Gaza and Barcelona’s own past, recalling the bombing of the city during the Spanish Civil War in 1938. He suggested that historical memory should compel people to stand against suffering and injustice elsewhere.
The ‘Act X Palestine’ concert featured performances by a range of artists, including Bad Gyal, Lluís Llach and Palestinian singers Zeyne and Lina Makoul. Proceeds from the event are set to support cultural centres across Palestine through the Palestinian Performing Arts Network.
Guardiola has repeatedly spoken out on the Gaza conflict in recent years. In October 2025, he publicly urged people to pressure governments to take immediate action and voiced support for pro-Gaza demonstrations in Barcelona. Earlier, in June 2025, after receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester, he said the situation in Gaza caused him deep personal pain.
Videos of Guardiola’s latest speech have since gone viral on social media, drawing millions of views and reactions across the world.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
BJP to fight Assam polls on twin planks of development, secure state
Guwahati (PTI): In a bid to win the Assam Assembly elections for the third time in a row, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday advised the state BJP brass to fight on twin planks: development and a secure state.
Shah, who wound up a two-day visit to Assam, held a nearly two-hour-long meeting with senior leaders of the BJP state unit at the party headquarters here, with a focus on discussing strategy for the state elections, expected in March-April.
Briefing reporters after the closed-door meeting, BJP Assam president Dilip Saikia said, "Development and a secure Assam will be our twin electoral planks."
He also said that Shah, known for his expertise in electoral politics, has offered valuable suggestions, and based on it, an action plan to retain power in the state will be formulated soon.
“Discussions were held in detail on our organisational and political calendars. Shah ji offered some very valuable suggestions, and we will implement those at the earliest…We will share more details on the action plan soon,” Saikia said.
He further said that the Union minister exhorted the state party leadership to ensure that not only do they secure a ‘massive landslide victory’ but also bag more seats than in the previous election.
The BJP currently leads a coalition government in Assam with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), while the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) has also extended support.
In the 126-member Assembly, the BJP now has 64 legislators, while its allies AGP, UPPL and BPF have nine, seven and three memnbers, respectively. In the opposition camp, the Congress’ strength is 26, while AIUDF has 15 members and CPI(M) one. There is an Independent legislator also, belonging to Raijor Dal.
Saikia said that the party will continue to contest the state polls in coalition with its NDA allies, which was also favoured by Shah.
Dismissing reports of chinks in the ruling coalition, the Lok Sabha MP said, “As far as the NDA is concerned, we are united in Assam. There could be discussions about some issues on individual party forums.”
The saffron party has maintained that its alliance with the regional parties will continue, and formalities like seat-sharing arrangements are being worked out.
Shah, who was on his second visit to the state within a month, attended two other events in Dibrugarh and Dheamji earlier in the day. He left for West Bengal after the meeting at the Guwahati state party headquarters.
