Palestinians mourn Gaza World Cup screenings organiser killed in Israeli strike

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Palestinians mourn Gaza World Cup screenings organiser killed in Israeli strike Figure caption, Man who ran Gaza World Cup viewings killed by Israeli strikeByRushdi Abualouf IstanbulPublished11 minutes agoThe killing of Palestinian aid worker Mohammed al-Wahidi in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on Tuesday has triggered an outpouring of grief across the Gaza Strip, where for many people he was one of the most recognisable humanitarian figures. Within hours of his death, social media platforms were flooded with photographs and videos documenting his work, alongside hundreds of messages of condolence from people who said they had encountered him during aid distributions or while living in displacement camps. An Israeli missile struck the taxi al-Wahidi was travelling in through the Sabra neighbourhood.

He was killed along with three other people, including two brothers aged eight and 10 who were passing by and another man. The Israeli military said it had struck a Hamas operative and was aware of claims that uninvolved individuals were killed in the strike. Al-Wahidi, 65, was an English teacher before the war but became a senior official with the Egyptian Relief Committee in Gaza, an Egypt-backed organisation that has played a prominent role in humanitarian relief efforts in the Palestinian territory during the war between Israel and Hamas.

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For more than two-and-a-half years he helped co-ordinate emergency food assistance, oversaw the establishment of camps for displaced families and worked to deliver aid to communities affected by repeated waves of displacement. Many Gazans say he became a familiar face in shelters across the territory because he preferred to remain in the field rather than directing operations from an office. Volunteers who worked alongside him describe a man who was regularly present at aid distribution points, speaking directly with displaced families and responding to their immediate needs.

In recent weeks, al-Wahidi became more widely known after helping organise public screenings of World Cup matches in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and the al-Mawasi area in southern Gaza. Image source, ReutersImage caption, Mohammed al-Wahidi was killed shortly before the Argentina-Egypt football match - one of several World Cup public viewings he had help to organise in Gaza CityThe initiative aimed to offer families, particularly children, a brief escape from the realities of war. Egypt's matches attracted large crowds, reflecting the long-standing popularity of the team among many Palestinians in Gaza who have long shared cultural, emotional and political ties with their neighbours.

Videos of children and families gathering around giant screens among destroyed buildings spread widely online, offering rare scenes of celebration amid the conflict. Al-Wahidi was killed only hours before one of those screenings, Egypt's last 16 match against Argentina, deepening the sense of loss among many Palestinians.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.