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An Israeli strike in Gaza City killed aid official Mohamed al-Wahidi before the Egypt-Argentina match screening. The attack shattered a rare moment of public respite and renewed focus on civilian deaths despite the truce.
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Deiral-balah,UPDATED: Jul 8, 2026 16:46 IST
An Israeli strike in Gaza just before the kickoff of the Egypt-Argentina World Cup match killed a senior Palestinian aid official who had helped organise public screenings of the game across the enclave, local health officials said.
The strike in Gaza City turned what was meant to be a moment of celebration — the live screening of a possible Argentina defeat by an Arab side — into another reminder of the near-daily Israeli strikes that have continued to kill civilians despite a truce reached in October.
The bomb hit a car in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City at dusk on Tuesday, killing Mohamed al-Wahidi, an official with the Egyptian Committee in Gaza, 10-year-old Hamza al-Deri, his 8-year-old brother Fari, and 33-year-old driver Ahmed Daghmush. Dr Mohamed Abu Selmiya, director of Shifa Hospital, which received the four bodies, gave the details.
The Israeli military said al-Wahidi, who had helped organise the football screenings, was not the target of the strike. It said the strike was aimed at a Hamas militant and that it was checking whether Daghmush had been the intended target. Abu Selmiya said Daghmush was a taxi driver not known to be linked to any militant group. An Israeli strike had hit the same street about half an hour earlier, but caused no casualties.
The Egyptian Committee, where al-Wahidi worked, is the relief arm of the Egyptian government and provides food, shelter and other assistance to Palestinians in Gaza. The committee also said it had organised an initiative to set up screens across Gaza for people to watch football matches.
Many in the Palestinian diaspora live across the border in Egypt, which was a key mediator of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. Support for Egypt's team in Gaza has grown since the tournament began, as coach Hossam Hassan has highlighted the plight of Palestinians in press briefings and on the pitch. He dedicated Egypt's win over Australia on Friday to Egyptians and Palestinians and waved a Palestinian flag on the pitch. In a briefing on Monday before the match against Argentina, Hassan said: "I urge you, I urge all media officers, all athletes worldwide, regardless of their identities, maybe we can convey a collective message that is as follows, let the Palestinian people be, let them exist, let them live a life of their own."
Israel's military says its strikes target militants and that it regrets harm to civilians. At least 1,027 people, including 258 children, have been killed since the truce took effect in October, while five Israeli soldiers have been killed in that period. The Gaza Health Ministry says the Palestinian death toll in the war has reached 73,098. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government and is staffed by medical professionals, does not distinguish between civilians and militants, but says women and children make up about half of those killed. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage.
The strike that killed al-Wahidi and three others came as Gaza prepared for a football match that had drawn strong public interest, underscoring how the conflict and continuing strikes have reached even moments planned for relief and celebration.
With PTI Inputs
- Ends
Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Jul 8, 2026 16:46 IST
