Saleem Khader al-Ashqar, an established 32-year-old Palestinian goalkeeper, stepped out of his home last Monday in search of cooking gas following a request from his pregnant wife. He never returned. Al-Ashqar was shot and killed by Israeli forces in the town of al-Qarara, northeast of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, ending a life dedicated to football and family.
His death is the latest devastating blow for the Palestinian athletic community, with about 1,009 members killed since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began, the official Palestinian Football Association (PFA) reported.
Al-Ashqar is among 567 Palestinians to be killed by Israel in the football sector alone since October 7, 2023, when the war on Gaza began.
But for his grieving family, al-Ashqar is far more than a statistic. He was the only son among six sisters and had recently celebrated his wedding on January 26, 2026. He and his wife were eagerly awaiting the birth of their first child when tragedy struck.
“He went out like any other young man, just trying to provide a gas cylinder for his wife and family, but the treacherous bullets of the occupation struck him,” said his uncle, Captain Farid Al-Ashqar, a member of the PFA referees committee who had helped raise Saleem.
From a young age, al-Ashqar was deeply devoted to goalkeeping and dreamed of defending the net for the Palestinian national team. Throughout his career, he played for several local clubs, including Al-Aqsa, Shabab Khan Younis, Al-Masdar, and Khadamat Khan Younis.
“When club managements would sit with us to negotiate his contract, Saleem would tell them, ‘I don’t need money; I need to be a player who represents my homeland, my people, and the State of Palestine,’” his uncle recalled.
A club in mourning
Abdulghani al-Sheikh, president of Khadamat Khan Younis, described the news of al-Ashqar’s killing as a “shocking and harsh” blow to the players, coaching staff, and fans.
“Every martyr from the sports movement is a human story before becoming a statistical number,” al-Sheikh said. Al-Ashqar was a “life force” and “role model” for future generations, he added, who saw sports as an escape from the psychological toll of the war.
Israel’s genocidal campaign has seen the unprecedented destruction of sports institutions, stadiums, and administrative headquarters across the Gaza Strip. The infrastructure of Khadamat Khan Younis, like other sports clubs in Gaza, has been severely damaged in Israeli bombing.
Anger at international silence
Captain Farid directed a poignant message at FIFA and international federations, accusing them of hypocrisy given their perceived silence over Israel’s continued attacks on footballers and sporting officials in Gaza.
“Where are you regarding what is happening in Palestine, and in Gaza specifically?” he asked. “Enough humiliation and enough exhaustion.” The recent denial of PFA President Jibril Rajoub from attending the World Cup was one example of this perceived discrimination, he said.
Rebuilding the human
Despite Israel’s widespread killing of athletes and destruction of infrastructure, Gaza’s football community refuses to abandon their passion for the game. Captain Farid proudly noted that the PFA has remarkably managed to launch consecutive local tournaments for both the premier and youth leagues, using whatever minimal resources and pitches remain standing in the rubble.
The “day after” the war is viewed as a day of reconstruction, al-Sheikh said, not just of material infrastructure, but also of the human spirit.
With the help of the local community, Khadamat Khan Younis has already started repairing a damaged indoor sports hall, preparing to welcome Gaza’s youth once more.
Al-Sheikh pledged to continue Al-Ashqar’s legacy by ensuring that football is played in Gaza with the next generation.
“Our message today is not just about rebuilding the stone, but rebuilding the human. True loyalty to our martyrs is not just crying for them, but continuing to carry the message they believed in.”
