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Wafaa Akila's name was written across Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair's eye black when he was up against the Cincinnati Bengals this week.
Wafaa was an 8-year-old girl who had just finished her first day back at school when an Israeli drone strike killed her and her dad, Youssef. According to Wafaa's mum, Sahar, they were on their way to buy school supplies (per Reuters).
Azeez only removed the eye black after officials at the game told him he wouldn't be able to play.
This isn't the first time he has put the spotlight on kids in Gaza - just a few days ago he was fined $11,941 for wearing Hind Rajab's name during his season opener. Hind was a 5-year-old girl killed along with her family members while she sat in a car waiting for paramedics, who were also killed. Basketball star Kyrie Irving recently took to platform X, offering to cover the fine.
Azeez has also previously been fined for wearing the words "Stop the Genocide" on his face.
In a press conference about the fines, Azeez said:
"Is a life worth $11,000? I think it's priceless... You can't get so lost in your own problems that you can't have compassion for other people in the world... We don't have to have all the answers to everything to know that an innocent man, an innocent woman, an innocent child losing her life is not right."
(Feature Image Credit: Azeez Al-Shaair's photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images; Photo of Wafaa Akila via X)
