Palestinian goalkeeper killed by Israeli fire in Gaza, football body says toll exceeds 1,000 athletes
Saleem Al-Ashqar, 32, was shot dead in Khan Younis while fetching supplies for his pregnant wife, as the Palestinian Football Association reports 567 football-related deaths since October 2023.
The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) confirmed that goalkeeper Saleem Al-Ashqar was killed by Israeli military fire on 30 June in Al-Qarara, south of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip. The 32-year-old, who played for Khadamat Khan Younis, was struck while cycling to purchase a gas cylinder, according to a friend cited by Al Jazeera; other accounts said he was seeking water for his wife, who is five months pregnant with the couple’s first child. The PFA stated that Al-Ashqar had married five months earlier and was the only son among seven sisters.
Viewed from Ramallah, the death is the latest in a pattern that Palestinian sporting bodies describe as a systematic erasure of athletic life. The PFA said the number of athletes killed since the war began in October 2023 has reached 1,009, of whom 567 belonged to the football community — including players, coaches, and officials. The Palestinian Olympic Committee and the PFA have previously reported that more than 250 sports facilities have been destroyed. The PFA characterises the military campaign as a “war of extermination” and has formally complained to FIFA that the Israel Football Association maintains clubs in settlements in occupied Palestinian territory and that its officials are linked to wartime actions.
From Santiago, the Chilean first-division club Deportivo Palestino — founded by Palestinian immigrants in 1920 — issued a statement saying it was “devastated” and demanded “justice and peace for our people.” No immediate comment was available from the Israel Defense Forces or the Israel Football Association. Israeli authorities have consistently rejected accusations of deliberately targeting civilians and maintain that operations in Gaza are directed at Hamas militants.
The killing adds to a documented toll that international sports federations have been slow to address publicly. The PFA’s complaint to FIFA, lodged earlier in the conflict, remains under review, though no timetable for a ruling has been announced. The dossier is expected to be discussed at the next FIFA Congress, where member associations may face renewed calls to suspend or sanction the Israeli federation — a step that, viewed from Zurich, would mark a significant escalation in the politicisation of global football governance.
| Arab Levant-Maghreb press | −0.70 | critical |
|---|---|---|
| Latin American press | 0.00 | neutral |
The Arab world denounces the goalkeeper's killing as part of an Israeli strategy of annihilation. The figure of a thousand athletes killed becomes proof of a sports genocide, and immediate international action is demanded.
The bloc presents the victim as a symbol of violated innocence, using the number of athletes killed to amplify the scale of the tragedy and delegitimize the adversary.
Latin America records the fact as one figure among many in the Middle Eastern conflict. No moral judgments are expressed nor responsibilities assigned, maintaining a position of external observer.
The bloc reduces the event to a numerical data point, avoiding any moral judgment or political contextualization, thereby not engaging with the conflict.
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