'Sad to see that a lot of countries are silent about it': Jabeur wants world to speak more on 'unfair' Gaza war

Ons Jabeur, the most high-profile Arab women’s tennis star, demanded Friday the world “speak more” on the ongoing war in Gaza, calling the impact of the conflict “unfair”. Jabeur, the only Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam final and a former world number two, says she has effectively stopped following the war on social media.

“I’m pretty sad to see the news every day, and I honestly try not to be on social media because it’s horrifying video what’s happening in Gaza right now,” said the 29-year-old Tunisian.

“I wish the world could speak more because it’s really unfair what’s happening. These kids, woman, men suffering. We are in 2024, and it’s very sad to see that a lot of countries are silent about it.”

In February, Jabeur became a goodwill ambassador with the World Food Programme (WFP) “to engage in various initiatives including one focusing on the Gaza emergency”, said the organisation at the time.

“I’m trying to send the great energy helping as a WFP Ambassador, trying to help as much as I can, but definitely it makes me very sad and angry to see that nothing is moving and nothing is really happening,” added Jabeur.

The Gaza war was sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,189 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 36,284 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

Jabeur was speaking after reaching the last 16 of the French Open in Paris on Friday.