Last Updated:
Gaza strike kills FIFA World Cup host Mohamed al-Wahidi, sparking outrage. Israeli military investigates, claims Hamas militant was target.
Palestinians carry the body of Mohamed al-Wahidi, director of public relations for the Egyptian Committee in Gaza (Picture credit: AP)
Israel’s strike in Gaza on Tuesday killed an individual who was supposed to host a screening for the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 game between Argentina and Egypt, which the former won 3-2, as per local health officials quoted by The Associated Press.
The blast transformed what should have been a moment of celebration, a live screening of a potential Argentina upset by an Arab team, into a grim reminder that near-daily Israeli strikes across Gaza continue to claim civilian lives despite the truce reached in October.
The strike hit a car in Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood at dusk on Tuesday, killing multiple bystanders, including Mohamed al-Wahidi, an official with the Egyptian Committee in Gaza and two brothers, 10-year-old Hamza al-Deri and his eight-year-old sibling, Fari.
The Israeli military said that al-Wahidi, who helped organise the football screenings, wasn’t the intended target of the strike. It said that the operation was aimed at a Hamas militant and that it was investigating whether the driver of the car, Ahmed Daghmush, had been the intended target.
The committee where al-Wahidi worked serves as the relief arm of the Egyptian government, providing food, shelter and other humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza.
It also organised the initiative to set up public screens across the territory for residents to watch the football games.
Meanwhile, it was another FIFA World Cup epic from an Argentina team that does not know when it is defeated.
Trailing 0-2 to Egypt with just 11 minutes of regulation time remaining on Tuesday, the defending champions produced a brilliant comeback to win 3-2 and book their place in the quarterfinals.
Argentina will play Switzerland in the next round on Saturday, July 11, in Kansas City, Missouri.
For much of Tuesday’s match, it looked like it would be a painful exit for the 39-year-old Lionel Messi in what might be the last of his six FIFA World Cups.
Read More
Source link
[ad_3]
