Azeez Al-Shaair honours slain Palestinian sisters despite NFL sanctions

What the report says

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair again drew attention for publicly honoring Palestinian children killed in Gaza, this time by writing the names of sisters Lana, 12, and Bana, 8, on his eye black during an NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet said the sisters were killed with their family in an Israeli air attack earlier this month. Al-Shaair also posted about them on Instagram before the game and showed the taped eye black he planned to wear, along with shoes featuring Palestinian and Sudanese flags.

The report said Al-Shaair has repeatedly used game-day gear to highlight Gaza, despite league penalties. It noted that the NFL previously fined him $11,491 after he displayed a message reading “Stop The Genocide” on his nose tape, and that he was later told he could be removed from a game if he did not take off the eye black honoring another Palestinian child, Hind Rajab. Al Jazeera said basketball player Kyrie Irving offered to cover one of the fines.

Al-Shaair, described by Al Jazeera as a Black American Muslim player, defended the gestures as a matter of principle and said the value of a life was greater than the fine. The article also placed the episode in the wider context of the war in Gaza, where schools and children have been heavily affected, citing figures from Gaza’s health authorities. Those figures could not be independently verified in the article and should be treated as the outlet’s reported context.