Lebanese women’s footballer injured in Israeli attack on Beirut

A Lebanese female football player was seriously injured Israeli shrapnel after a rocket attack on the Beirut suburb of Chiyah on Saturday.

Video and images circulated online, it appeared that Celine Haidar was bleeding profusely of her head as she lay on the ground after being hit as a result of the rocket attack. The new Arab could not verify these videos.

Haidar was in the neighboring suburb of Tayouneh when the Israeli attack on Chiyah took place. The New Arabs Arabic-language sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, reported.

The footballer was immediately taken to Saint George’s Hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery, the Lebanese broadcaster said LBCI.

The incident sent shockwaves through Lebanon and the country’s sporting community, and wishes for a speedy recovery poured in for her.

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Toufaily further confirmed that Haidar is unconscious and in critical condition in intensive care, and that her family wants to transfer her to another medical center as Saint George’s Hospital was hit by an Israeli missile.

The Beirut Football Academy (BFA) posted a statement on its official Instagram account on Saturday, saying: “We send all our love and prayers to Celine Haidar of the BFA Women’s Team.

“In such challenging times, we are deeply saddened to see her go through this difficult moment. Celine, you are strong and we know you will come back even stronger.”

The BFA team added that “her condition is also being closely monitored along with her family and the medical team handling her case as she is currently undergoing surgery.”

Her former coach, Joanna Hamzy, described Haidar in an interview with LBCI as one of the “smartest players” who is well liked by her teammates.

Activists and sports journalists also took to social media and urged the world football governing body to FIFAto condemn the incident.

Haidar won international trophies with Lebanon as an U-18 player.

The Israeli army launched a series of rocket attacks on several Beirut suburbs on Saturday, particularly in the Beirut regions Chiyah, Ghobeiry, Haret Hreik and Dahieh.

Saturday’s attacks on Lebanon also targeted Nabatieh governorate, Chamaa in Tire district and Baalbek.

Israel has intensified attacks on Lebanon since September, regularly attacking Beirut, southern parts of the country and the eastern Bekaa Valley. At least 3,452 people have been killed by Israeli forces after the Israeli army began exchanging cross-border fire with Hezbollah in October last year, parallel to the war in Gaza.