More than 715 athletes have been killed in Gaza by Israel
A ceasefire deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas, as Palestinian officials report that more than 700 athletes have perished during 15 months of devastation.

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As the world waited on bated breath for a ceasefire deal to be announced between Israel and Hamas, bringing a tentative end to 15 months of fighting in Gaza, Palestinian sports officials announced the deaths of two more Palestinian athletes.
The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) reported that Shadi Al-Shaer, a footballer for Beit Hanoun club, and Muhammad Abu Zayed, a member of Nuseirat Services club, were killed on Tuesday when Israeli artillery strikes targeted their car. Their deaths bring the toll of athletes and sports officials killed during Israel's war on Gaza to at least 715.
The PFA has since dedicated a section of its website to the athletes killed during the past 15 months, including pictures of the victims. Some were teenagers with dreams of turning professional; others were fathers pictured with their smiling children.
Among the 715 athletes confirmed to have been killed during the past 15 months, more than 375 were football players. Among the notable names is Hany Al-Masdar, a former player and manager of the Olympic team, and Mohammed Barakat, Gaza’s first centurion of goals and a former national team player known as the “Legend of Khan Younis.”
The death toll also included 280 teenagers and 95 children. At least 233 athletes from other sports organizations have been killed, as well as 107 members of scouting organizations.
The PFA released a graphic detailing these statistics, though it noted that the reports were incomplete due to ongoing airstrikes, as well as the likelihood of missing persons under the rubble.
Israeli forces have also destroyed 286 sports facilities, including stadiums, gyms and club facilities, either partially or completely. These include all of Gaza’s professional football stadiums, as well as the PFA headquarters, which was also targeted by Israeli airstrikes.
Al Yarmouk Stadium—one of the oldest sports facilities in Gaza—was transformed into a makeshift internment camp for Palestinian detainees, where dozens of men, women and children were rounded up, stripped down to their underwear, and blindfolded while Israeli soldiers posed for photos.
Despite the continued devastation, global sports bodies such as FIFA, UEFA and the International Olympic Committee have continued to resist calls to sanction Israel amid its continued abuses in Gaza. In October 2024, FIFA once again postponed a decision on the PFA’s request to ban Israel, citing a need for more time to evaluate the situation. FIFA had initially vowed to resolve the issue in July 2024.
“They ignored us and did not stand by us and left us to be killed in the war except for a few fans in some clubs who stood by us,” Mohammed Al-Sharif, an 18-year-old aspiring footballer in Gaza, told Sports Politika in an exclusive interview last month.
On Wednesday, Jan. 15, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire deal, pausing the 15-months war. The ceasefire, which begins on Sunday Jan. 19, promises the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas, as well as the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. It will also allow hundreds of thousands of displaced people to return to their homes, or whatever remains of them.
The Israeli government is expected to vote on the ceasefire on Thursday. Once official, the ceasefire is expected to lead to a six-week halt to the war accompanied by negotiations to end the war altogether.
Despite the fragile peace, there are plenty of long-term questions about post-war Gaza that remain unanswered. Who will control the territory and oversee the reconstruction process? How many Palestinians will be allowed to return to their homes? Will life ever return to normal?
While sports may be low on the list of priorities in post-war Gaza, the past 15 months have caused profound, generational damage to Palestinian athletics. The deaths of more than 715 athletes, coupled with the destruction of all stadiums and critical infrastructure, represent losses that extend far beyond the field. These tragedies have not only shattered the hopes and dreams of countless Palestinians but have also left a void that Gaza may simply never recover from.
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