DUBAI: Palestine’s Football Association has called on the sport’s governing body FIFA to investigate the death of local football player Ahmed Daraghmeh after it said the 23-year-old striker was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers during a raid in the West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday.
The PFA said in a statement to Arab News: “While the rest of the world still basks in the festivities of a splendid World Cup 2022 in Qatar, and prepares to celebrate the season and welcome a new year, Palestinian football has been grieved by the assassination of one of its top footballers.
“And as we grieve for the loss of this young life, we express our heartfelt condolences to the family of Ahmed, his club, and his teammates and demand the international football organizations take a closer look into the racist policies and practices of the Israeli occupation, its constant violations of the international sport regulations, and hold it responsible for depriving Palestinian footballers from their enshrined right to develop and practice sport.”
Daraghmeh played for West Bank Premier League team Thaqafi Tulkarm and had scored six goals, the fourth highest total in the league this season.
His club said in a statement: “The family of Tulkarm, the management, players and fans mourn Ahmed Atef Mustafa Daraghmeh.
“We send our condolences to his family, his relatives and the entire sports family.”
The forward had previously been called up for Palestine’s Olympic team but injury had prevented his participation.
Mahmoud Hafez Daraghmeh, a coach at his club, said: “Ahmed had a distinguished personality and was a special player.
“He was tireless as a player and scored some decisive goals.”
The Israeli military said that its soldiers had fired back after coming under attack by Palestinians on entering Nablus.
The PFA has complained in the past that the Israeli occupation has affected the development of football in Palestine, including its attempts to qualify for the World Cup.
Former national football coach Noureddine Ould Ali said earlier this year: “People in Palestine are not free in their movement.
“If you want to leave then you must first go through a number of checkpoints, and if you get through those then you still have to go through the border into Jordan.”
Daraghmeh’s death comes after several positive weeks for the country on the international football stage. The country’s flag was unfurled by Morocco’s players after their historic win over Spain in Qatar on their way to a historic semifinal appearance.
With the flag a common sight at the competition and on the screens of the world’s televisions, Palestine were called in some quarters the tournament’s “33rd team.”
It is now reported that there have been 224 Palestinians killed by Israeli gunfire since the start of 2022.