An Israeli airstrike killed four people in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday evening, including a Palestinian aid official involved in organizing public World Cup screenings, according to Gaza health authorities. The incident occurred just before the start of the Egypt versus Argentina match, turning a moment meant for communal celebration into a stark reminder of ongoing violence despite a truce.
The targeted area was the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, where the strike hit a vehicle at dusk. Among those killed were Mohamed al-Wahidi, an official with the Egyptian Committee in Gaza, and three civilians: two boys aged 10 and 8, Hamza and Fari al-Deri, and Ahmed Daghmush, 33, who was driving the car. Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiya, director of Gaza’s Shifa Hospital, confirmed that the four bodies were received at the facility.
The Israeli military stated that al-Wahidi was not an intended target of the operation, which was aimed at a Hamas militant. Officials are investigating whether Daghmush, described locally as a taxi driver unaffiliated with militant groups, was the intended target. A separate Israeli strike struck the same street roughly 30 minutes earlier but caused no casualties.
Al-Wahidi worked for the Egyptian Committee, a humanitarian organization supported by the Egyptian government that provides food, shelter, and other aid to Palestinians in Gaza. The committee had been organizing public screenings of World Cup games throughout the enclave. Egypt, which hosts many Palestinians in diaspora, played a central role in brokering the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas in October.
Support for Egypt’s national team has grown in Gaza during the tournament, bolstered by coach Hossam Hassan’s outspoken advocacy for Palestinian rights. Following Egypt’s recent victory over Australia, Hassan dedicated the win to both Egyptian and Palestinian supporters and prominently displayed a Palestinian flag on the field. Prior to Tuesday’s match against Argentina, Hassan called on global athletes and media to raise awareness about the plight of Palestinians, urging, “let the Palestinian people be, let them exist, let them live a life of their own.”
Since the ceasefire took effect in October, when Hamas militants launched a large-scale attack on southern Israel killing around 1,200 people and taking hundreds hostage, Israeli strikes have continued near-daily across Gaza. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is operated by Hamas but maintains records considered credible by United Nations and independent observers, at least 1,072 Palestinians—including 258 children—have been killed since the truce. More than half of the overall Palestinian death toll since the war began in October 2023 stands at over 73,000, including a significant proportion of women and children. On the Israeli side, five soldiers have died during this period.
Israel’s military maintains its operations are aimed at militants and expresses regret for civilian casualties but emphasizes the ongoing threat posed by armed groups in Gaza. The recent killing of a humanitarian worker alongside civilians underscores the persistent risks faced by noncombatants living amid the protracted conflict.