Crowds in Gaza gathered on Wednesday to mourn Mohammad al-Waheidi, a Palestinian aid worker killed by an Israeli air strike on Tuesday. Waheidi, a senior member of Egypt's main aid organization operating in Gaza, was instrumental in organizing public screenings of World Cup matches in the devastated Palestinian territory.

The air strike occurred on the eve of the Egypt-Argentina match in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, killing Waheidi along with three others, including two young siblings aged 10 and 8, according to medics. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights identified the fourth victim as 30-year-old Ahmed Jehad Rajab Doghmosh, who was also in the vehicle.

Waheidi's son, Fawaz, told Reuters, "My father worked hard to bring some entertainment to the people, to the displaced, to us and everyone who suffers in Gaza, he tried to bring them the matches close to their tents and wrecked shelters."

Two Egyptian security sources said Waheidi was responsible for logistics at the aid agency in Gaza, which acts as the relief arm of the Egyptian government in the enclave. His body was wrapped in Palestinian and Egyptian flags during a funeral attended by hundreds before burial.

The World Cup screenings brought moments of joy to thousands of football fans in Gaza, a territory ravaged by over two years of conflict. Palestinians, like many Arabs, cheered for the Egyptian team, which performed strongly before being eliminated by Argentina.

Israel's ongoing aerial and ground bombardment has displaced nearly the entire population of 2 million people in Gaza, most of whom now live in tents or damaged buildings in a narrow coastal strip governed by Hamas. The Gaza health ministry reported that more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israel's military campaign.

Sources