Saleem Khader Al-Ashqar, a 32-year-old goalkeeper for Khadamat Khan Younis , was killed on June 29, after being shot by Israeli forces in the town of Al-Qarara, northeast of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
According to reports from the Palestinian Football Association and WAFA news agency, Al-Ashqar was struck while in the area.
Al-Ashqar had been married for only five months and was expecting his first child. He was the only son among seven siblings.
His death contributes to a grim tally: the number of Palestinian sports community members killed since the genocide in Gaza has reached 1,009, including 567 associated with football.
