DayofPal—While the World Cup Knockouts continue amd the world is following up the sports news, Israel killed Gazan footballer Saleem Al-Ashqar.
Palestinian goalkeeper Saleem Al-Ashqar was killed by Israeli army fire in Khan Younis earlier this, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) said in a statement on Monday, prompting tributes from football supporters, journalists, fans, and the public on social media.
The goalkeeper was returning home from work when Israeli forces opened fire on unarmed civilians northeast of Hamad City, striking him in the chest.
It added that Ashqar had seven sisters and he was the only son among his family. He had married just five months ago and was expecting his first child with his wife.
The relative described him as “one of the finest young men” in the community.
Al-Ashqar played for Khan Younis Service Club, for Al-Aqsa, and Al-Musaddar clubs.
With Ashqar’s death, the number of Palestinian sports figures killed since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza has risen to 1,009, including 567 members of the Palestinian football community.
News of his death quickly spread online, prompting many to question Fifa’s continued refusal to suspend Israel.
Turkish Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak also paid tribute to Ashqar in a post on X, offering his condolences and describing the goalkeeper as having been killed by “murderous Israeli forces”.
Bak contrasted the 572 footballers competing in the Fifa Club World Cup to the 567 Palestinian footballers killed since October 2023, adding: “Sometimes numbers tell a great deal. This is one of them.”
Chilean football club Deportivo Palestino was among the first to pay tribute to Ashqar. In a post on X, the club said it “deeply regretted” the death of the 32-year-old goalkeeper, adding that it was “heartbreaking” that such incidents continued to occur while calling for “justice and peace”.
Ashqar’s death also reignited criticism of football’s governing bodies, with many questioning Fifa’s continued refusal to suspend Israel, particularly amid the ongoing World Cup matches.
Spanish-Moroccan sports journalist Leyla Hamed wrote on X that Fifa has suspended football federations “almost every week” but had repeatedly delayed a decision on Israel despite meeting several times to discuss the issue. “How much investigation does the most documented genocide in history need?” she asked.
Writer Jakob Reimann also questioned Fifa’s inaction, noting that Ashqar had been killed while his wife was expecting their first child.
Spanish journalist Fonsi Loaiza highlighted the timing of Ashqar’s death, describing him as a professional First Division goalkeeper in Palestine who was killed while the World Cup was taking place.
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