Israeli strike ‘kills World Cup screening organiser’ in Gaza ahead of kick-off

The blast turned what was supposed to be a moment of celebration into a reminder of how the near-daily Israeli strikes across Gaza are continuing to kill civilians despite a truce reached in October

The bomb hit a car in the Sabra area of Gaza City at dusk on Tuesday, killing passerby Mohamed al-Wahidi, director of public relations for the Egyptian Committee in Gaza, 10-year-old boy Hamza al-Deri and his eight-year-old brother Fari. P:icture: Getty Images.

Wed, 08 Jul, 2026 - 12:03

Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy and Julia Frankel, Associated Press

An Israeli strike on Gaza just before the kick-off of the Egypt-Argentina World Cup match killed a top Palestinian aid official who was instrumental in efforts to organise public screenings of the game across the enclave, according to local health officials.

The blast turned what was supposed to be a moment of celebration — the live screening of a potential Argentina upset by an Arab team — into a reminder of how the near-daily Israeli strikes across Gaza are continuing to kill civilians despite a truce reached in October.