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Saleem Khader al-Ashqar, a 32-year-old Palestinian, left his house last Monday to search for cooking gas following the request of his pregnant wife. He didn’t come back. Al-Ashqar was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers in the city of al-Qarara, northeast of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, ending a life dedicated to football and family.
His death is the latest threat to the Palestinian football community, where at least 1,009 members have been killed since Israel’s war on Gaza began, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) said.
Al-Ashqar is among the 567 Palestinians to be killed by Israel in the football field alone since October 7, 2023, when the Gaza conflict began.
But to his grieving family, al-Ashqar is much more than a number. He was the only child among 6 sisters and had just 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 boy, just trying to give life to his wife and family, but the fake bullets of the job hit him,” said his uncle, Captain Farid Al-Ashqar, a member of the PFA committee that helped raise Saleem.
From a young age, al-Ashqar was devoted to goals and dreamed of defending the net for the Palestinian national team. Throughout his youth, he played for several local clubs, including Al-Aqsa, Shabab Khan Younis, Al-Masdar, and Khadamat Khan Younis.
“When the club managers sit with us to discuss his contract, Saleem tells them, ‘I don’t want money; I have to be a player who represents my country, my people, and the Palestinian state,'” his uncle recalled.
Club at the funeral
Abdulghani al-Sheikh, the president of Khadamat Khan Younis, described the killing of al-Ashqar as a “shocking and brutal attack” on players, coaches and fans.
“Every martyr of the sports team is a story of a person before becoming a number,” said al-Sheikh. Al-Ashqar was a “life force” and a “good role model” for future generations, he added, who saw sports as an escape from the psychological hardships of war.
Israel’s campaign of genocide has seen untold damage to sports clubs, stadiums, and administrative headquarters in the Gaza Strip. The buildings of Khadamat Khan Younis, like other sports clubs in Gaza, have been severely damaged by Israeli bombing.
Anger at international silence
Captain Farid delivered a heart-wrenching message to FIFA and international organizations, accusing them of hypocrisy for thinking they have remained silent as Israel continues to attack football players and sports officials in Gaza.
“Where are you on what is happening in Palestine, and in Gaza in particular?” he asked. “Enough humiliation and enough exhaustion.” The recent rejection PFA president Jibril Rajoub’s attendance at the World Cup was just one example of the racism seen, he said.
Rebuilding a person
Despite Israel’s killing of athletes and the destruction of infrastructure, the football community in Gaza refuses to give up their interest in the game. Captain Farid noted with pride that the PFA had managed to start a series of local games for senior and junior players, using whatever limited resources were still left.
“The day after” the war is seen as a day of rebuilding, al-Sheikh said, not only materially, but also the human spirit.
With the help of the community, Khadamat Khan Younis has already begun to repair the damaged indoor sports hall, preparing to welcome back Gaza’s youth.
Al-Sheikh promised to continue the legacy of Al-Ashqar by ensuring that football is played in Gaza by the next generation.
“Our message today is not just to rebuild a stone, but to rebuild a person.” The true loyalty of the martyrs is not just mourning, but continuing to carry the message they believed in.
