Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair has been vocal about his support for Palestine amid the ongoing genocide by Israel. On Sunday, he wrote the name of a young girl mercilessly killed by Israeli soldiers on his eye black in their game against the Buffalo Bills.
The NFL, however, did not appreciate it and fined Al-Shaair almost $11,500 for the unauthorized message, according to KPRC 2 Houston's Aaron Wilson.
Al-Shaair, a devout Muslim, wrote âÂÂHIND RAJABâ on his eye black to remember the five-year-old Palestinian, who was gunned down, along with her six family members, by the Israel Defense Forces in 2024.
âÂÂAudio recordings of Hind calling for help sparked international outrage. In August, the Israeli military confirmed that soldiers fired on the vehicle and ordered an internal criminal investigation into the incident,â wrote Wilson.
âÂÂThe Voice of Hind Rajab,â a documentary-drama film, was nominated for Best International Feature Film at this year's Academy Awards.
In January, Al-Shaair wrote âÂÂSTOP THE GENOCIDEâ on his eye black against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was fined over $11,500.
The 29-year-old Al-Shaair likely knew that he would be penalized again against the Bills, but that did not stop him from honoring Rajab to raise more awareness and rally more support for Palestine.
As stated in the rulebook, players are prohibited from âÂÂwearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages either in writing or illustrationâ without approval from the league's office.
Al-Shaair has maintained that he will always use his platform to shed light on the humanitarian crisis in Palestine, stressing that it is way bigger than football.
âÂÂIf you have a heart and you're a human being, you can see what's going on in the world, and you check yourself real quick,â said the one-time Pro Bowler in Wilson's report.
âÂÂI have to check myself when IâÂÂm sitting here crying about football when there are people dying every single day.âÂÂ
Over 73,700 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 21,000 children, in Israel's non-stop attacks in Gaza since 2023, according to the local health ministry.
Last year, Al-Shaair was named the Texans' Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year for his charitable works in the community, including helping the youth and underprivileged families.

