Palestinian soccer federation says former national team player killed in an Israeli airstrike

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Palestinian soccer federation says former national team member Mohammed Barakat was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip.

The federation says the 39-year-old Barakat was killed in a strike Monday on a residential building in the southern city of Khan Younis.

Affectionately known as “the lion” by fellow players, Barakat had played for the national team as well as a number of clubs in Gaza, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. He began his professional career in 2015 with Shabab Khanyounis, where he became the first player in Gaza to score 100 goals with a single team.

Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 31,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The Palestinian Football Association says 158 athletes, including 91 soccer players from various divisions, are among those killed.

The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 hostage.

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