War on Gaza: Palestinian karate champion killed after succumbing to wounds in Israeli strike
A Palestinian karate champion died on 14 January almost a month after she was critically wounded in an Israeli missile strike.
Nagham Abu Samrah, a widely celebrated sports player, had her leg amputated after an Israeli missile hit her home in the Nuseirat refugee camp on 17 December.
The attack on her home killed her sister, and left her in a serious condition. The 24-year-old was left in a coma before she died in the al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah on Sunday.
Abu Samrah was set to be evacuated to Egypt for specialist treatment, but did not make it in time due to Israeli forces not granting her permission to cross the border.
According to Sky News, her father, Marwan Abu Samrah, said she was his only “glimmer of hope,” following the loss of his other daughter and his mother who died of cancer a week before the war on Gaza started.
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“I am ruined. Nagham is my life and spirit,” he said.
He added that her dream was to inspire generations of young girls to play karate, and that the missile strike has “ruined all of her dreams”.
“The only dream left is for her dad who dreams about hearing her voice,” he continued.
Last week, her father also urged international bodies to help her receive urgent medical treatment abroad.
He told reporters that she suffered from head injuries, the amputation of her right leg, fractures to her left arm and the dislocation of her shoulder, while she was kept in the intensive care unit.
He pleaded for international support and global sports federations to help provide aid amidst the increasingly limited capability of hospitals and medical equipment available in Gaza due to ongoing Israeli bombardment.
Marwan Abu Samrah said that medical teams had already carried out numerous operations to save her, however he was told that there was not much else that could be done to help her.
Tributes
Tributes have started pouring in for the karate champion, who her father called “the most beautiful karate player in the world”.
The Palestinian Olympic Committee expressed its condolences for Najah, outlining her “significant role in promoting karate in Gaza”.
“Nagham, a respected figure in Palestinian sports, leaves a void with her dedicated efforts in fostering karate among girls in Gaza and her notable academic achievements," it added.
Some social media users have criticised the lack of response and help provided to Nagham, despite her father’s pleas, particularly as she died on the 100th day of war on Gaza.
Nagham is not the only prominent Palestinian sports player to be killed in Israeli air strikes since 7 October.
An Israeli air strike on Gaza City killed Hani al-Masdar, a 42-year-old coach for the Palestinian Olympic football team. Known locally as Abu al-Abed, he was a midfielder for the al-Maghazi Club and the Gaza Sports Club before retiring in 2018.
Al-Masdar’s death was announced on Facebook by the Palestinian Football Association.
Around 1,140 people were killed during the 7 October attack. Israel has since killed at least 24,000 Palestinians in Gaza, and wounded over 50,000 more.
Since 7 October, Gaza has been plunged into a deep humanitarian crisis, after Israel cut off all fuel, food, water, electricity and aid to the besieged enclave on 9 October.
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