Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa spoke out about the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
HEARTWARMING: #Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa paused his press conference to express his feelings and offer his prayers for the tragedies that have occurred in Israel.
Very few athletes have spoken out offering their support and condolences, so on behalf of all Jewish #NFL fans,… pic.twitter.com/VmR3YBoPcn
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) October 15, 2023
Tua: "I didn't really realize how bad things were in Israel. … If you don't understand, if you go on Google, you look, you search and you read about what's going on in this world, this world needs prayer."
— Dolphin Nation (@Dolphin_Nation) October 15, 2023
Hamas is an Islamist militant movement and one of the Palestinian territories’ two major political parties. The group governs over two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and it launched a massive surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7 that killed 1,400 people.
Following the attack, Israel declared war on the group in hopes of defeating Hamas to avoid any more attacks like the one that began the conflict this month.
Gaza – which is a narrow strip of land between Israel, the Mediterranean Sea and Egypt – has been the target of Israeli forces since the attack on Oct. 7.
The Israeli military has responded with strikes mostly in the northern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said it killed a Hamas commander on Sunday. The Israeli government has told the 1.1 million residents in northern Gaza to leave their homes for their own safety as it continues to respond to the attacks from Hamas.
The death toll is rising, with at least 1,300 killed in Israel and 2,300 in Gaza.
It’s just an awful situation that’s going on, and it’s good to see Tagovailoa raising awareness to the issue. The Dolphins quarterback seems to be hoping for a quick resolution, and one can hope that happens so there are no more lives lost in the conflict.
Athletes like Tagovailoa have the platforms to speak out on issues like this – and while they are not required to do so – they do have a major influence on those who follow them.
The Dolphins quarterback has continued to grow his profile in the NFL, especially this season with his strong play.
Tagovailoa has the Dolphins off to a 5-1 start after the team easily beat the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon. Tagovailoa threw for 262 yards and three touchdowns in the win, as the Dolphins rallied back from a 14-0 deficit to win 42-21.
The former No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft found Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill and Raheem Mostert for touchdowns through the air. Hill led the team with 163 receiving yards on six receptions.
Tagovailoa and the Dolphins will look to keep things rolling in Week 7 when they take on the Philadelphia Eagles.
