“A tragic day for Palestinian sport,” 23-year-old Palestine football player shot dead by Israeli forces in West Bank raid
Palestine footballer killed by Israeli armed forces during their raid of Nablus city.
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During a nighttime raid in the city of Nablus within the occupied West Bank, Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian football player. As Palestinian demonstrators took to the streets to oppose a settlement invasion of the sacred site of Joseph’s Tomb under the protection of the IDF, 23-year-old Ahmad Atef Daraghma was killed by Israeli gunfire. Daraghma, a professional football player from the neighboring city of Tubas, played as an attacking midfielder for Thaqafi Tulkarm.
He was killed during street altercations and armed conflicts between the Israeli army and the Palestinians. It wasn’t confirmed if he participated in the fights. According to the Israeli army, Palestinians fired shots and threw explosives at soldiers, who returned fire and “hit suspects.”
Ahmed Rajoub, a friend of Daraghmas, grieved his passing on Facebook, calling it “a tragic day for Palestinian sport.” “The dreams and hopes of a Palestinian football star have been stolen by a racist and fascist occupation,” Rajoub said. In the 2022/2023 West Bank Premier League, Daraghma has six goals, which made him Thaqafi Tulkarm’s top scorer. The sixth-placed team in the league, Thaqafi Tulkarm, paid tribute to the player on Facebook.
“Football players are honoured and celebrated around the world, and in Palestine they are killed by the Israeli occupation forces,” Sabah Sabah, the team’s manager, said to local media. Palestine Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh urged Fifa, the organisation that oversees football worldwide, to punish Israel over the murder of Daraghma.
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Palestine Flag was on full display during matches of the 2022 FIFA World Cup
As a gesture of unity and support for the nation, Palestinian flags flew high during this year’s World Cup. Despite attempts by some Arab nations to normalise relations with Israel, it appears that Arab supporters of the Palestinian cause have fully embraced the movement. Throughout the tournament, the Palestinian flag could be seen everywhere, and on social media, people were posting videos of spectators who have refused to talk to Israeli media.
In the 48th minute of their match against Australia, Tunisian supporters waved a huge flag reading “Free Palestine,” making reference to the 1948 Nakba, which saw the horrific uprooting and mass exodus of over 700,000 Palestinians from their homes. The following day, amid their nation’s spectacular victory over Belgium, the Moroccan supporters performed a similar act.
Many Qataris had placed the Palestinian flag next to their country’s flag, while some Qataris in a VIP section of a stadium were wearing armbands that depicted the Palestinian keffiyeh headdress. In fan zones, “Ali Al-Keffiyeh” (Raise Your Keffiyeh), a Palestinian song was frequently being played.
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Sujeeth Shetty
(766 Articles Published)