An Israeli military strike in Gaza City on Tuesday evening killed a Palestinian aid official who was coordinating public screenings of the FIFA World Cup match between Egypt and Argentina, along with two children and a taxi driver, according to local health authorities. The missile hit a vehicle in the Sabra neighbourhood shortly before kick-off, turning a community celebration into a scene of carnage. Mohamed al-Wahidi, a public relations director for the Egyptian Committee in Gaza, had helped install large screens across the enclave for residents to watch the tournament. The blast also killed Hamza al-Deri, 10, his brother Fari, 8, and driver Ahmed Daghmush, 33, the director of Shifa Hospital confirmed.

The Israeli military stated that al-Wahidi was not the intended target of the operation. Spokespersons said the strike aimed at an active Hamas militant and that an investigation was under way to determine whether Daghmush was that individual. Palestinian health officials countered that Daghmush worked as a taxi driver with no known affiliation to armed groups. An earlier strike on the same street half an hour before caused no casualties, they noted. The Egyptian Committee, the humanitarian arm of the Cairo government, provides food, shelter and medical assistance to Palestinians in Gaza and had organised the public screenings as a rare communal respite.

Viewed from Cairo, the killing of an Egyptian Committee official risks complicating Egypt’s role as the primary mediator of the October truce between Israel and Hamas. Egyptian coach Hossam Hassan had amplified the Palestinian cause throughout the tournament, dedicating a victory to Palestinians and waving their flag on the pitch. In a press conference on Monday, he urged the global sporting community to “let the Palestinian people be, let them exist, let them live a life of their own.” The strike, occurring just before the Egypt-Argentina match, thus carries symbolic weight beyond its immediate toll, analysts in the region say, as it undercuts Egyptian-led efforts to project normalcy and humanitarian relief.

The incident underscores the fragility of the ceasefire, which has failed to halt near-daily Israeli strikes. According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 1,084 people, including 258 children, have been killed since the truce took effect in October. The overall death toll in the war, which began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, stands at 73,110, the ministry says, with women and children accounting for roughly half. Israel maintains its operations target militant infrastructure and expresses regret for civilian harm. No immediate diplomatic steps have been announced, but the strike is likely to feature in ongoing truce talks, with Egyptian officials expected to raise the matter in bilateral channels.