Gaza Strip: Palestinian footballer Imad Abu Tima, 21, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, along with nine members of his family. Abu Tima, who played for the Ittihad Khan Younis club and represented Palestine’s under-20 national team in 2021, is among over 400 Palestinian athletes who have lost their lives in Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, according to the Palestine National Olympic Committee.
The attack has also claimed the lives of nearly 250 football players, including 69 children and 176 young men, while Israel’s strikes have destroyed numerous sports facilities in Gaza.
The news coincides with growing pressure on FIFA to take action. During the 74th FIFA Congress, Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub called on the international football body to consider banning Israel from competing, citing “systematic violations” of FIFA’s principles.
