Saleem Kader al-Ashkar, a 32-year-old Palestinian goalkeeper, ran out of his home last Monday in search of cooking gas at the request of his pregnant wife. He never returned. Al-Ashkar was shot dead by Israeli forces in the town of al-Qalara, northeast of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, ending a life devoted to football and his family.
His death was the latest devastating blow to Palestinian sports, with the official Palestinian Football Association (PFA) reporting that some 1,009 of its members have been killed since Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza began.
Al-Ashkar is one of 567 Palestinians killed by Israel in football alone since October 7, 2023, when the Gaza war began.
But to his grieving family, Al-Ashkar is more than a statistic. He was the only son of six sisters and had just gotten married on January 26, 2026. He and his wife were looking forward to the birth of their first child when tragedy struck.
“He was just going out like any other young man and trying to provide gas cylinders for his wife and family, but the occupation forces’ dangerous bullets hit him,” said his uncle, Captain Farid Al-Ashkar, a member of the PFA referee committee who helped raise Saleem.
Al-Ashkar was passionate about goalkeeping from an early age and dreamed of defending the goal for the Palestinian national team. Throughout his career, he played for several local clubs, including Al Aqsa, Shabab Khan Younis, Al Masdar, and Qadamat Khan Younis.
“When the club management sat with us to negotiate the contract, Saleem told them, ‘We don’t need money. We need to be players who represent our homeland, our people and the Palestinian state,'” his uncle recalled.
mourning club
Qadamat Khan Younis Chairman Abdulghani Al Sheikh said the news of Al Ashkar’s murder was a “shocking and harsh” blow to the players, coaching staff and fans.
“Every martyr of a sports movement is a human story before it becomes a statistical number,” Al-Sheikh said. Al-Ashkar is a “life force” and “an example” for future generations, he said, adding that sport is an escape from the mental suffering of war.
Israel’s genocidal campaign has resulted in unprecedented destruction of sports facilities, stadiums, and administrative headquarters across the Gaza Strip. Like other sports clubs in the Gaza Strip, Qadamat Khan Yunis’ infrastructure was severely damaged by Israeli bombing.
Anger over international silence
Captain Farid sent a scathing message to FIFA and the international federation, accusing them of hypocrisy given their perceived silence on Israel’s continued attacks on footballers and sports personnel in the Gaza Strip.
“What do you think about what is happening in Palestine, especially in Gaza?” he asked. “Enough humiliation and enough fatigue.” PFA president Djibril Rajoub’s recent refusal to attend the World Cup was an example of this discrimination, he said.
rebuild humans
Despite Israel’s widespread killing of players and destruction of infrastructure, Gaza’s soccer community refuses to give up its passion for soccer. Captain Farid proudly stated that the PFA had successfully succeeded in launching back-to-back regional tournaments in both the Premier League and Youth League using the minimal resources and pitches left in the rubble.
Al-Sheikh said the “day after” the war is seen as a day of reconstruction, not only of material infrastructure but also of the human spirit.
With the help of the local community, Qadamat Khan Younis has already started repairing the damaged indoor sports hall and preparing it to welcome back Gaza’s youth.
Al-Sheikh pledged to continue Al-Ashkar’s legacy by ensuring the next generation of football is played in Gaza.
“Our message today is not just about rebuilding stones, but about rebuilding people. Our true loyalty to our martyrs is not just in weeping for them, but in continuing to share the message they believed in.”
