Lebanon's youth international footballer Céline Haidar remains in an induced coma, four days after sustaining injuries from shrapnel during an Israeli airstrike on Saturday. The 19-year-old, who has been affected by Israel's military operations in both Gaza and Lebanon, was struck in Chiyah, a southern suburb of Beirut. An update from her team, Beirut Football Academy (BFA), on Tuesday stated: “According to her doctors, Céline's condition is currently stable, and the intracranial bleeding is under control.”
Social media has been flooded with calls for Fifa and Uefa to take stronger action on behalf of Lebanese and Palestinian players who have been injured or killed during the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Lebanon. Both governing bodies have yet to respond to requests for comment on these demands. However, Fifa previously expressed its concern, stating: “The ongoing violence in the region underscores the urgent need for peace, as emphasized at the 74th Fifa Congress. We are deeply shocked by the current events and our thoughts are with those suffering. We urge all parties to restore peace immediately.”
Haidar, who has represented Lebanon's Under-20 women's national team multiple times, including winning the West Asian Championship twice, sustained a head injury from shrapnel. The Lebanese FA reported that she underwent surgery on the day of the incident, during which doctors successfully stopped the bleeding and stabilized her condition. Despite initial improvements, her condition worsened, leading to a resumption of bleeding and placing her in a coma.
Haidar was initially taken to Saint-Georges Hospital in Hadath before being transferred to Saint-George Hospital in Achrafieh, where she remains in intensive care. Her former teammate, journalist Assile Toufaily, expressed dismay at the lack of reaction from the broader women's football community, stating: “The whole women's football community in Lebanon is in disbelief. I don't expect male footballers to react, but I had hoped for more from female footballers, who are often more vocal about such issues. Their silence is deafening.”
A statement from the BFA's official Instagram account conveyed their support: “We are sending all our love and prayers to Céline Haidar from the BFA Women’s team. In these challenging times, we are deeply saddened to see her endure this difficult moment. Céline, you are strong, and we know you’ll come back even stronger.”
Over the weekend, the Israeli Defence Force's Arabic-speaking spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, issued evacuation orders for several areas in the southern suburbs of Beirut, advising residents to maintain a distance of at least 500 meters from targeted buildings. On Sunday, he reported that the Air Force had attacked around 50 terrorist targets in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a stronghold of the terrorist group Hezbollah, which continues to use the area to plan attacks against Israel.
The AFP reported that Lebanon's National News Agency confirmed that one raid “completely destroyed a 12-storey residential building near the Mar Mikhael church” in Chiyah, while other buildings, including a residential complex in Haret Hreik and a site close to Saint-Georges Hospital, were also hit.
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