The number of Palestinian athletes killed in Israel’s war on Gaza has risen to 1,014, according to a Palestinian sports official, with the latest victim a young footballer who had been preparing to compete in a tournament dedicated to those killed in the conflict.
Mustafa Siam, secretary-general of the Palestinian Sports Media Federation, said that Jabalia Services Club defender Abdel Fattah Abu al-Aish was killed on Saturday when an Israeli strike hit an electric motorcycle operated by a private delivery company in Gaza City’s Tal al-Hawa neighborhood.
Abu al-Aish had been preparing with his team for the Thousand Martyrs’ Cup, a tournament organised by the Palestinian Football Association and scheduled to begin September 4.
Siam said the 1,014 fatalities include football players, coaches, referees and Palestinian Football Association officials. He described the continued deaths and destruction as an “existential” crisis for Palestinian sports.
A young defender’s career cut short
Abu al-Aish played in the Palestinian first division for Jabalia Services Club and had briefly represented Ahli Beit Hanoun. His funeral was held Sunday in Gaza City, attended by athletes and Palestinian supporters.
Jabalia Services Club mourned Abu al-Aish as one of the promising young talents from northern Gaza.
Siam said the losses have extended beyond Gaza. Palestinian athletes have also been killed in the occupied West Bank, while players, coaches and sports administrators have been detained.
The latest death came as Palestinian sports organizations sought to restore some competitions despite the destruction of sporting venues and severe shortages of equipment and resources.
Sports infrastructure devastated
According to the Palestinian Sports Media Federation, more than 50 of Gaza’s 56 sports clubs have been destroyed, along with around 20 five-a-side football fields established by the Palestinian Football Association with support from FIFA.
Stadiums, sports halls, academies and other facilities have also been destroyed or bulldozed, Siam said.
The first steps toward restoring organized sports began in early March with an official five-a-side football tournament. Organizers had only three surviving fields available to stage the competition.
The effort illustrates the scale of the challenge facing Gaza’s sporting community: athletes are trying to resume organized activities while facilities, personnel and basic resources have been decimated.
Israeli genocide
Israel launched its war in Gaza on October 8, 2023.
According to Palestinian figures cited in the report, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 174,000 wounded, most of them women and children.
A ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025, has also faced repeated violations, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says Israeli attacks since the truce began have killed 1,320 Palestinians and wounded 4,385 others, mostly women and children.
