By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Before his death, he played for the Gaza Strip team Al-Ahly Gaza.
As the conflict in the Gaza region continues, a 34-year-old Palestinian soccer player Ahmad Abu al-Atta and his family have been killed.
Before his death, he played for the Gaza Strip team Al-Ahly Gaza.
The Palestinian Football Association announced that Ahmad Abu al-Atta, a soccer player, his wife Ruba Esmael Abu al-Atta, a medical professional, and their two children tragically lost their lives after an airstrike struck their residence in Gaza City, resulting in the loss of the entire family.
Local media reported that the airstrike took place on Friday, but the PFA did not give a date.
The Palestinian Football Association had previously reported the tragic loss of international referee Hani Mesmeh, who succumbed to injuries sustained in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip in May. According to recent statistics, a staggering 300 athletes, referees, and sports officials have lost their lives since the conflict began in October 2023, with all sports facilities in Gaza destroyed, as revealed by Jibril Rajoub, President of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, earlier this month.
The conflict has claimed the lives of several sports figures, including soccer player Mohammed Barakat, who fell victim to an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis in March, and FIFA International Assistant Referee Mohammed Khattab, who tragically lost his life alongside his wife and four children in an Israeli offensive in the Deir Al Balah neighborhood of Gaza in February