Israeli Attack Kills Gaza Goalkeeper Days After Tribute Tournament Final
(MENAFN) An Israeli airstrike killed a 20-year-old Palestinian goalkeeper in Gaza just five days after he took the pitch in a tournament final held to honor athletes and sports officials killed since October 2023, the Palestinian Football Association said.
Mahmoud Kamal Fares Abdel-Malek, captain and goalkeeper of Gaza Sports Club, died Tuesday in the Sabra neighborhood of southern Gaza City. His death pushed the toll of Palestinian athletes and sports workers killed to 1,017, according to the association.
Final played Nov. 5
Abdel-Malek’s club took second place in the Gaza and Northern Gaza division of the Thousand Martyrs Cup, which held its final on Nov. 5.
The competition signaled a comeback for organized football, which had been halted for a long stretch after Israel’s war and the wrecking of sporting facilities. Kicking off Sept. 4, it drew more than 200 teams from Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.
Second young player killed
Only days earlier, the association reported the death of another young footballer. On Saturday, it said Israeli forces shot and killed Mohammed Nidal Barbakh, a 15-year-old player at Al-Najma Sports Academy, as he played football with friends in Al-Mawasi, southern Gaza.
Ceasefire under strain
Tuesday’s strike came amid ongoing Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025.
War toll
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 74,600 Palestinians and wounded nearly 176,000 since October 2023. Most of the dead and wounded were women and children. The war has also destroyed 90% of the territory’s infrastructure.
Mahmoud Kamal Fares Abdel-Malek, captain and goalkeeper of Gaza Sports Club, died Tuesday in the Sabra neighborhood of southern Gaza City. His death pushed the toll of Palestinian athletes and sports workers killed to 1,017, according to the association.
Final played Nov. 5
Abdel-Malek’s club took second place in the Gaza and Northern Gaza division of the Thousand Martyrs Cup, which held its final on Nov. 5.
The competition signaled a comeback for organized football, which had been halted for a long stretch after Israel’s war and the wrecking of sporting facilities. Kicking off Sept. 4, it drew more than 200 teams from Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.
Second young player killed
Only days earlier, the association reported the death of another young footballer. On Saturday, it said Israeli forces shot and killed Mohammed Nidal Barbakh, a 15-year-old player at Al-Najma Sports Academy, as he played football with friends in Al-Mawasi, southern Gaza.
Ceasefire under strain
Tuesday’s strike came amid ongoing Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025.
War toll
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 74,600 Palestinians and wounded nearly 176,000 since October 2023. Most of the dead and wounded were women and children. The war has also destroyed 90% of the territory’s infrastructure.
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