Israeli Strike Kills World Cup Screening Organizer In Gaza Just Before Kickoff
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israeli attack on Gaza just before kickoff of the Egypt-Argentina World Cup match killed a senior Palestinian aid official who was instrumental in efforts to organize public screenings of the game across the region, according to local health officials.
The explosion turned what should have been a moment of celebration – a live demonstration of a potential Argentina upset by an Arab team – into a reminder that despite a ceasefire reached in October, Israeli near-daily attacks on Gaza continue to kill civilians.
A bomb hit a car in the Sabra district of Gaza City on Tuesday evening, killing passersby, Mohamed al-Wahidi, public relations director of the Egyptian Committee in Gaza, 10-year-old Hamza al-Deri and his 8-year-old brother Fari. The driver of the car, 33-year-old Ahmed Daghmush, also died. Dr. Şifa Hospital director, who took the four bodies. This is according to Mohamed Abu Selmiya.
The Israeli military said Al-Wahidi, who helped organize the football demonstrations, was not the target of the attack. He said that the attack targeted a Hamas militant and that he was checking to see if the target of the attack was Daghmush.
Abu Selmiya said Daghmush was a taxi driver with no known affiliation with any militant group.
There was no loss of life in the Israeli attack on the same street half an hour ago.
The Egypt Committee, where al-Wahidi works, is the aid arm of the Egyptian government that provides food, shelter and other aid to Palestinians in Gaza. It was stated that the committee also organized the initiative to install screens to watch football matches in Gaza.
Many in the Palestinian diaspora live just across the border in Egypt, the key mediator of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. Team Egypt’s Gaza fan base has grown since the start of the tournament, with coach Hossam Hassan drawing attention to the plight of the Palestinian people in press briefings and on the field. He dedicated his team’s victory over Australia on Friday to both Egyptians and Palestinians and waved the Palestinian flag on the field.
In his briefing on Monday ahead of the game against Argentina, Hassan called on the world to do more for the Palestinian people.
“I am calling out to you, to all members of the media, to all athletes around the world, regardless of their identities, maybe we can give a common message: May the Palestinian people exist, may they exist, may they live their own lives,” he said.
The Israeli military said its strikes targeted militants and regretted the harm caused to civilians. At least 1,027 people, including 258 children, have been killed since the ceasefire came into force in October. During this time, five Israeli soldiers were killed.
The number of Palestinian deaths in the Israel-Hamas war is 73,098, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which is part of the Hamas-led government and consists of medical experts who keep detailed records deemed generally reliable by United Nations agencies and independent experts. No distinction is made between civilians and militants, but it is stated that approximately half of the deaths were women and children.
The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
Magdy reported from Cairo and Frankel from Jerusalem.
