Israeli Strike Kills Gaza World Cup Screening Organizer, Local Health Officials Say

What happened

Naharnet Lebanon reports that an Israeli strike hit Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood just before the kickoff of the Egypt-Argentina World Cup match, killing Mohamed al-Wahidi, a Palestinian aid official who helped organize public soccer screenings, along with three others including two children, according to local health officials and Shifa Hospital director Mohamed Abu Selmiya.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. The Israeli military stated the strike targeted a Hamas militant and that al-Wahidi was not the intended target. It is also reviewing whether the taxi driver killed, Ahmed Daghmush, was the intended recipient of the strike. Daghmush is reportedly not affiliated with any militant groups according to Abu Selmiya.

The attack came shortly after another Israeli strike on the same street that caused no casualties. The Egyptian Committee in Gaza, where al-Wahidi worked, provides humanitarian assistance including food and shelter, and organized the World Cup screenings aimed at Gaza’s population, many of whom have close ties to Egypt — a key mediator in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.

Known from the source

• An Israeli strike on Gaza’s Sabra neighborhood killed Mohamed al-Wahidi and three others including two children, according to local health officials and hospital records.
• Mohamed al-Wahidi was the director of public relations for the Egyptian Committee in Gaza and helped organize public World Cup screenings across Gaza.
• The Israeli military said the strike targeted a Hamas militant and that al-Wahidi was not a target; it is checking if the taxi driver killed was the intended target.
• An Israeli strike occurred on the same street roughly 30 minutes earlier causing no casualties.
• The Egyptian Committee in Gaza provides food, shelter, and humanitarian assistance and was involved in the World Cup screening initiative.

What remains unclear

The strike reflects ongoing violence in Gaza despite a ceasefire reached in October, with local health reports citing over 1,000 Palestinian deaths since then from Israeli strikes, including a significant share of children, as well as Israeli military casualties. The Gaza Health Ministry, linked to the Hamas-led government, provides these figures but does not distinguish clearly between civilians and militants.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Independent confirmation of whether Mohamed al-Wahidi or Ahmed Daghmush was the intended target of the strike. Verification of casualty details and whether any militant presence was involved at the strike location. Corroboration of the total death toll figures provided by Gaza Health Ministry and casualty breakdowns.

Evidence note

This story contains report-led claims. The article keeps those claims attributed and treats them as unconfirmed/hearsay unless independently corroborated.

Original source: Naharnet Lebanon. Open the source.