An Israeli airstrike in Gaza City killed a Palestinian aid official who helped organize public screenings of the FIFA World Cup, along with three others, just before the kickoff of Egypt's Round of 16 match against Argentina, local health officials said.
The strike hit a vehicle in the Sabra neighborhood at dusk on Tuesday, turning what had been planned as a festive gathering for football fans into another deadly incident in the conflict-ravaged enclave.
According to Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiya, director of Shifa Hospital, the attack killed Mohamed al-Wahidi, an official with the Egyptian Committee in Gaza, brothers Hamza al-Deri, 10, and Fari al-Deri, 8, as well as 33-year-old taxi driver Ahmed Daghmush.
The Israeli military said al-Wahidi was not the intended target of the strike, adding that it had been aimed at a Hamas militant and that authorities were reviewing whether Daghmush had been the target. Hospital officials, however, said Daghmush was a civilian taxi driver with no known links to militant groups.
Officials said another Israeli strike hit the same street about 30 minutes earlier but caused no casualties.
The Egyptian Committee, which provides humanitarian assistance including food, shelter and relief supplies in Gaza, had also arranged large public screenings of World Cup matches across the territory to offer residents a brief respite from the ongoing conflict.
Support for Egypt's national football team has grown among Palestinians during the tournament, particularly after Egypt coach Hossam Hassan repeatedly voiced support for the Palestinian people. Ahead of Tuesday's match against Argentina, Hassan urged the international community to do more to protect Palestinian civilians.
The Israeli military says its operations target militants and that it seeks to avoid civilian casualties. According to Gaza health authorities, at least 1,027 Palestinians, including 258 children, have been killed since a ceasefire took effect in October. Israeli authorities say five Israeli soldiers have also been killed during the truce period.
The Gaza Health Ministry says the overall Palestinian death toll since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023 has risen to more than 73,000. The war was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage.