An Egyptian relief worker who organised World Cup match screenings for Palestinians in Gaza was killed in an Israeli strike just hours before Egypt's dramatic Round of 16 clash against Argentina, Palestinian media reported late on Tuesday.
Mohammed Fawaz Al-Wahidi, the public relations manager for the Egyptian Relief Committee in Gaza, was killed in an Israeli strike targeting a civilian vehicle in Gaza City's Sabra neighbourhood .
The attack also killed two other Palestinians, including a child, and wounded several others, according to the Palestinian Information Centre.
Despite a ceasefire agreed in October last year, Israeli forces have continued carrying out regular airstrikes and demolitions across the enclave, killing scores of Palestinians.
Al-Wahidi had attended a community reconciliation meeting involving local residents shortly before the vehicle he was travelling in was struck near the Gaza governorate building in Sabra..
The attack came just hours before the Egyptian Relief Committee was due to host a public screening of Tuesday night’s World Cup match between Egypt and Argentina, which saw the defending champions come from 2-0 down to win 3-2 in a match later overshadowed by controversial refereeing decisions.
The screenings, organised by Al-Wahidi, were intended to provide Palestinians with a brief escape from the war and the humanitarian crisis gripping the Gaza Strip amid continued Israeli bombardment.
Al-Wahidi also headed the Office of Mukhtars and Family Elders at the Egyptian Relief Committee, a department responsible for community reconciliation and resolving local disputes, the Palestinian Information Centre said.
The organisation said the attack raised "serious concerns" that "the Israeli occupation not only kills Palestinians but also seeks to eliminate any space for normal life or collective joy by targeting individuals and initiatives that provide even limited relief for the besieged population".
"It is seen as part of a policy aimed at undermining civilian life and subjecting residents to a constant reality of fear and deprivation," it added, calling on the international community to investigate Israel's continued attacks in the Gaza Strip.
The Egyptian Relief Committee is a major humanitarian organisation established under the directives of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi after the 2021 war on Gaza.
Initially created to support the territory's reconstruction, it now focuses primarily on humanitarian relief, including distributing food, sheltering displaced families and helping clear rubble and debris.
Israel has repeatedly violated the October ceasefire through near-daily strikes, shootings and demolitions across Gaza.
Since the so-called ceasefire came into effect, at least 1,084 Palestinians, including 258 children, have been killed by Israeli fire.