Israeli forces killed a Palestinian footballer in Gaza on Wednesday, the latest in a series of attacks targeting the besieged enclave's sporting community .
Saleem Al-Ashqar, goalkeeper of the Khadamat Khan Younis club, was killed in the town of Al-Qarara, northeast of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, by Israeli fire.
The football player was riding his bicycle to refill a gas cylinder for his home when the area came under heavy fire from an Israeli tank stationed nearby, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) told The New Arab , adding that he was struck by a stray bullet that lodged in his abdomen.
The PFA added that he was immediately rushed to hospital, where examinations revealed severe internal hemorrhaging and extensive damage to his stomach, intestines, liver, and pancreas.
"Despite medical efforts, the hospital's severely limited capabilities—exacerbated by the collapse of Gaza's health sector due to the ongoing war of extermination, as well as shortages of equipment, electricity, and medical staff—made it impossible to control the internal bleeding. Given the severity of his injuries, Al-Ashqar passed away about two hours after arriving at the hospital," spokesperson Dima Youssef told TNA .
Throughout his athletic career, Al-Ashqar played for Khadamat Khan Younis, Al-Aqsa and Al-Masdar in the Gaza Strip. He leaves behind his wife, whom he married just five months ago and who is expecting their first child. The only son in his family, he is also survived by his seven sisters.
The Palestinian footballer’s death triggered a wave of tributes and condemnations, including from the Chilean Club Deportivo Palestino , which was founded by Palestinian immigrants in the 1920s.
In a statement on Wednesday, the club said: "Deportivo Palestino deeply regrets the sad passing of Saleem Al-Ashqar, a 32-year-old Palestinian goalkeeper who defended the colours of Khadamat Khan Younis and lost his life at the hands of the Israeli army."
"We are devastated that such events continue to happen. We demand justice and peace."
Al-Ashqar’s death brings the total number of Palestinian sports people killed since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza to 1,009, which includes at least 567 footballers.
Among them was Suleiman al-Obeid , who was shot and killed by Israeli forces as he attempted to collect humanitarian aid in August last year, in one of the most high-profile killings of a Palestinian sportsperson since the start of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.
Palestinian football —and the wider sports community— has been systematically affected by Israel’s war, with players, clubs and infrastructure targeted from repeated raids in the West Bank to the destruction of pitches, stadiums and training facilities across the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023.
Israeli attacks have persisted across the Gaza Strip despite the signing of a ceasefire agreement on 10 October, 2025. Since then, at least 1,053 people have been killed and some 3,400 others injured.