Another leading figure in Palestinian sport has been killed in an Israeli attack. Mohammed Shalan, a former national basketball player widely regarded as one of the country’s greatest, was shot dead by Israeli forces while collecting relief supplies in Gaza, according to Middle East Eye.
Shalan, aged 40, was attempting to bring food and medicine for his ill daughter Mariam and other family members from a distribution centre near Khan Younis when he was killed. Local media reported that Mariam was suffering from blood poisoning and kidney complications.
A household name in Palestinian basketball, Shalan was nicknamed Al-Zilzal – Arabic for “earthquake”. Alongside his time with the national team, he represented several domestic clubs, including Khadamat Al-Bureij, Khadamat Al-Maghazi and Khadamat Khan Younis.
In the months leading up to his death, Shalan had repeatedly appealed for help to secure proper medical treatment for his daughter. His killing comes amid a string of recent losses for Palestine’s sporting community. Only days earlier, Rafah Youth Club official Salem Al-Shaer, 26, and former Al-Salah Sports Club star Ahmed Al-Jawrani, 40, were killed in Israeli attacks.
Earlier this month, football icon Suleiman Al-Obaid – popularly known as the “Pelé of Palestine” – was also shot dead by Israeli forces. He had been collecting food from a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) centre, an initiative jointly established by Israel and the United States.
