Gaza football club mourns goalkeeper killed near Khan Younis
Saleem Khader al-Ashqar, 32, was killed in al-Qarara as Gaza’s sports community says it will keep local football alive.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Palestinian goalkeeper Saleem Khader al-Ashqar has been killed by Israeli forces in southern Gaza, according to the Palestinian Football Association and relatives cited by Al Jazeera. His death adds to the toll on Gaza’s sports community, which the PFA says has lost about 1,009 members since the war began.
Al-Ashqar, 32, played for Khadamat Khan Younis. Al Jazeera reported that he left home last Monday to look for cooking gas after his pregnant wife asked for it, and was shot in al-Qarara, northeast of Khan Younis.
The PFA said al-Ashqar is among 567 Palestinians from the football sector killed by Israel since October 7, 2023. The association has also reported widespread losses across Gaza’s athletic community during the war.
A family and club in grief
Al-Ashqar had recently married, according to Al Jazeera. His wedding took place on January 26, 2026, and he and his wife were expecting their first child. He was the only son among six sisters.
His uncle, Captain Farid al-Ashqar, a member of the PFA referees committee who helped raise him, told Al Jazeera that his nephew had gone out “trying to provide a gas cylinder” for his wife and family when he was killed. Farid al-Ashqar said Saleem had loved goalkeeping from childhood and hoped to play for the Palestinian national team.
During his career, Saleem al-Ashqar played for several clubs in Gaza, including Al-Aqsa, Shabab Khan Younis, Al-Masdar and Khadamat Khan Younis, according to Al Jazeera. His uncle said that in contract talks, the goalkeeper focused less on money than on representing Palestine.
Abdulghani al-Sheikh, president of Khadamat Khan Younis, told Al Jazeera that al-Ashqar’s death was a severe blow for the club’s players, staff and supporters. He described him as a model for younger players and said sport had offered many people in Gaza a way to cope with the strain of the war.
Sports infrastructure damaged
Al Jazeera reported that sports facilities, stadiums and administrative offices across Gaza have been damaged or destroyed during Israeli attacks. Khadamat Khan Younis has also suffered severe damage, according to the report.
Farid al-Ashqar criticized FIFA and international sports bodies, accusing them of silence over attacks that have killed footballers and sports officials in Gaza. He also pointed to the recent denial of a United States visa to PFA President Jibril Rajoub for the World Cup as an example of what he called discrimination, according to Al Jazeera.
Despite the destruction, Gaza’s football community has continued organizing matches where possible. Farid al-Ashqar said the PFA has been able to hold local tournaments for premier and youth leagues using limited resources and the pitches that remain available.
Khadamat Khan Younis has started repairing a damaged indoor sports hall with help from the local community, al-Sheikh told Al Jazeera. He said the club wants to bring young people back to football and honor al-Ashqar by keeping the game going in Gaza.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.