From Gaza to Lebanon… Israel kills athletes and players

Israel has continued to deliberately target athletes and sports infrastructure, in a pattern stretching from Gaza to Lebanon, causing mounting human and material losses among players and clubs.

In Lebanon, the local handball federation announced the deaths of players Hussein Harb, goalkeeper for Al-Mabara Club, and Mohammed Daoui, a player for the Mifdon team, as a result of airstrikes targeting the city of Nabatieh and its surroundings in the south.

The federation confirmed in an official statement that the players were active members of the sport and had performed remarkably throughout their careers, before the airstrikes ended their lives.

This coincided with damage to a number of facilities and stadiums in southern Lebanon, alongside the suspension of sporting activities at several clubs due to the escalation, which threatens the continuity of local competitions and adds to the suffering of athletes.

Gaza and Lebanon

In Gaza, the picture appears even bleaker, as the Israeli occupation has completely wiped out the sporting community, killing more than 1,000 athletes, including players, coaches and referees, amongst whom were more than 450 footballers.

During the war of extermination, Israel destroyed all clubs, stadiums and sports facilities, leading to the suspension of sport in Palestine in general for the third consecutive year.

Israel has deprived thousands of players and talented individuals of the opportunity to play football and participate in sport in general as a result of the systematic extermination of the sports sector.

Despite the mounting losses, prominent international bodies such as FIFA and UEFA have failed to take concrete action, despite a wave of protests and widespread demands led by fans, federations and activists around the world, calling for Israel’s exclusion from international competitions.

These calls, despite their frequency and widespread nature, have not yet received an official response, sparking mounting controversy over the standards of conduct within international sporting bodies as victims from the sporting community continue to fall.

Featured image via the Canary