War on Gaza: Palestinian footballer killed after family home bombed by Israel
A Palestinian footballer was killed after an Israeli strike hit his home in Khan Younis, the Palestinian Football Association confirmed on Tuesday.
Muhammad Barakat, who has represented the Palestinian national team and the Ahli Gaza Football Club, was known as "The Legend of Khan Younis" due to his long association with the Khan Younis Youth Club, of which he was captain. A prolific goal scorer, the 39-year-old had a tally of 114 goals for the side he led.
He also played for Jordanian club Al-Wehdat, as well as Saudi Arabian club Al-Shoala.
"The Palestinian sports movement continues to bid farewell to its sons and cadres, as a result of long decades of injustice and occupation, from which no components and sectors of life in Palestine were spared," the PFA said in a statement.
According to the PFA, the number of Palestinian sportspeople killed as a result of Israeli attacks on the West Bank and Gaza Strip since 7 October has risen to 157, with 90 of them football players.
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They added that 22 sports facilities had been destroyed in the territories, in addition to the arrest of five athletes.
In February, Middle East Eye reported on how Israeli soldiers had used a football stadium as a holding facility for Palestinians they had detained.
Survivors of an Israeli army raid on the Yarmouk stadium in Gaza City in December said they were beaten and had their belongings and cash stolen.
They also reported soldiers shooting at Palestinians as they entered the stadium and killing those they ordered out of the area.
More than 31,000 Palestinians have been killed and at least 70,000 wounded in Gaza since the start of the war on 7 October, while the UN announced on Saturday that 80 percent of Gaza is now uninhabitable.
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