Former Palestinian national team member, Mohammed Barakat, was reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip.
Barakat, 39, was said to have been killed in a strike on a residential building in the southern city of Khan Younis.
Affectionately known as “the lion” among fellow players, Barakat had played for the national team and various clubs in Gaza, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
He began his professional career in 2015 with Shabab Khanyounis, where he achieved the milestone of becoming the first player in Gaza to score 100 goals with a single team.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 31,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
The Palestinian Football Association has reported that 158 athletes, including 91 soccer players from different divisions, were among those killed.
The war began when Hamas-led militants reportedly entered Israel on Oct. 7, resulting in casualties and hostage-taking.
