In an emotive Christmas greeting that marked only his second comment on the conflict in the enclave, Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah urged on Monday that families in Gaza mourning the loss of a loved one should not be forgotten.

Salah said he was approaching Christmas with a sorrowful heart due to the fighting in Gaza, which has been under heavy Israeli bombing since Hamas militants began a cross-border incursion on October 7, after sharing a black-and-white photo of a Christmas tree on social media.

Israel claims that during their attack, Hamas militants killed 1,200 individuals and kidnapped about 240 others. Authorities in the Hamas-ruled territory report that over 20,400 people have died and at least 50,000 have been injured as a result of Israel's subsequent assault of Gaza.

"With the brutal war going on in the Middle East, especially the death and destruction in Gaza, this year we get to Christmas with very heavy hearts and we share the pain of those families who are grieving the loss of their loved ones," Salah stated.

"Please remember them and resist the urge to grow numb to their pain. Happy Christmas," Salah wished his over 19 million X followers and more than 63 million Instagram followers.

Salah was criticized in his home country of Egypt for his lack of comment on the matter more than a week after the war broke out, with many supporters drawing comparisons between him and other prominent Arab sportsmen who have spoken out more on the subject.

Salah announced in October that he had made a significant donation to aid Gazans, according to Egyptian Red Crescent officials.

Less than two weeks after the war began, in October, Salah made his first remarks about the situation. He demanded a halt to what he called massacres and the admission of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

One of the top scorers in the English Premier League this year is the 31-year-old.