Key facts
- Palestinian goalkeeper Saleem al-Ashqar was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza.
- The Palestinian Football Association reported 1,009 Palestinian sports figures, including 567 footballers, killed since October 2023.
- Ashqar, 32, was married five months prior and his wife is expecting their first child.
- Critics are questioning FIFA's inaction and refusal to suspend Israel from international football.
- The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned Israeli allegations aimed at discrediting Palestinian journalists.
Palestinian goalkeeper Saleem al-Ashqar was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza earlier this week, according to an announcement by the Palestinian Football Association (PFA). The PFA stated that the 32-year-old was killed by Israeli army fire, bringing the total number of Palestinian sports figures killed since the start of the war in Gaza to 1,009, including 567 members of the Palestinian football community. Ashqar had been married for five months and his wife is expecting their first child.
A relative told Wafa that Ashqar was returning home from work when Israeli forces opened fire on unarmed civilians, striking him in the chest. News of his death has prompted widespread tributes and renewed criticism of FIFA's refusal to suspend Israel from international football.
Chilean football club Deportivo Palestino expressed regret over Ashqar's death, calling for justice and peace. Turkish Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak also paid tribute. Critics, including sports journalist Leyla Hamed and former Irish MEP Mick Wallace, have questioned FIFA's inaction, with some alleging the organization serves "Western imperialism" and pointing to FIFA's history of suspending federations.
Separately, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has responded to Israeli allegations that question the professions of Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza. The syndicate stated these claims are part of a campaign to discredit Palestinian media institutions targeted by Israel. The Government Media Office in Gaza reported in January 2026 that 260 journalists had been killed by the Israeli army since October 2023, which the syndicate described as "deliberate assassinations."