Gaza Herald – Palestinian goalkeeper Saleem Al-Ashqar was killed earlier this week after coming under fire from Israeli occupation forces in the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Football Association (PFA).
In a statement, the PFA said Al-Ashqar was killed by Israeli gunfire, stressing that killing him is part of the growing toll on Palestinian sports figures since the war began in October 2023. The association said more than 1,000 Palestinian athletes have been killed during the Israeli genocide.
Al-Ashqar, 32, had been married for just five months, and his wife is expecting their first child. His killing prompted widespread expressions of grief from family members, teammates, and members of the Palestinian sporting community.
Chilean football club Deportivo Palestino also paid tribute, saying: “We deeply mourn the tragic killing of 32-year-old Palestinian goalkeeper Saleem Al-Ashqar. The Israeli occupation forces killed him. We are deeply saddened by the continuation of such events. We call for justice and peace.”
The killing adds to the mounting human toll on Gaza’s sporting community as the Israeli genocide continues.
