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.
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