An Israeli army attack killed a former Palestinian basketball player while he was seeking food in Gaza, local media reported late on Tuesday.
Mohammed Shaalan, 40, one of the most prominent players of the Palestinian national basketball team, was targeted and killed by Israeli gunfire in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, while trying to obtain food for his children at an American and Israeli food distribution site, Wafa news agency reported.
Shaalan's daughter, Maryam, who suffers from kidney failure and severe blood poisoning, was waiting for her father to return with food and medicine — but instead, his lifeless body came back.
Nicknamed “The Earthquake,” Shaalan played for several local basketball teams as well as the Palestinian national team.
Israel has recently faced sharp international criticism after killing a former Palestinian player Suleiman al-Obeid, known as the “Palestinian Pelé,” while he was waiting for aid near a distribution point in southern Gaza.
More than 800 athletes have been killed in Gaza since the start of Israel’s attack on October 7, 2023, as the sports community continues to suffer under bombardment, famine and the collapse of infrastructure, according to Palestinian officials.
Palestinians attempting to collect scarce food from Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites have come under attack by Israeli soldiers and US mercenaries time and again.
Over 1,300 Palestinians have been killed while attempting to access food, according to the United Nations.
Media reports citing whistleblower accounts claim many were deliberately shot by Israeli soldiers or US security contractors working for the GHF.
Despite the danger, thousands of Palestinians continue to risk their lives daily at GHF sites in a desperate attempt to survive.
Israel has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
