Gaza mourns Egyptian relief official killed in Israeli strike who brought World Cup screenings to enclave

An Israeli airstrike killed Mohammed al-Wahidi and three others on the eve of Tuesday’s Egypt versus Argentina World Cup match.

Large crowds of Palestinians in Gaza gathered to honor a senior figure from Egypt’s principal humanitarian organization, who had arranged public viewings of the World Cup across the devastated territory and was killed earlier this week when an Israeli airstrike hit the taxi he was traveling in.

According to medical personnel, the strike claimed the life of Mohammed al-Wahidi, a Palestinian, on the night before Tuesday’s Egypt–Argentina match, alongside three others—including two child bystanders, siblings aged 10 and 8, in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood.

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights identified the fourth victim as 30-year-old Ahmed Jehad Rajab Doghmosh, also in the taxi; it remained unclear whether he was the driver or a passenger.

Al-Wahidi, 57, served as director of public relations for the Egyptian Relief Committee in Gaza and was among the first to clear debris, restore access routes, and establish shelters for displaced families.

The Egyptian committee described al-Wahidi as a respected community elder who mediated disputes, distributed food to those in need, and lifted spirits by organizing communal World Cup broadcasts.

For thousands of football supporters in the enclave—ravaged by more than two years of Israel’s military campaign—watching the matches on large screens offered rare moments of joy. Like many across the Arab world, local fans cheered for Egypt, whose team played strongly before its tournament elimination by Argentina.

“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,” his son Fawaz told Reuters by phone.

Two Egyptian security sources said al-Wahidi handled logistics for the aid agency, which operates as the Egyptian government’s relief arm within the Palestinian territory.

The sources added that a senior Egyptian official protested al-Wahidi’s killing to Israeli counterparts, condemning the ongoing fatalities in Gaza and obstacles to the committee’s operations.

At Wednesday’s funeral, hundreds marched as al-Wahidi’s body—shrouded in Palestinian and Egyptian flags—was laid to rest. Neighbors and friends later visited his home to offer condolences.

Fawaz, the son, acknowledged that work for the Egyptian agency was exhausting, yet al-Wahidi insisted on assisting those displaced by the conflict.

The lethal incident occurred despite a ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hamas on October 10, 2025.

Although ground combat has since subsided, Israeli air strikes have persisted, killing at least 1,092 Palestinians and wounding more than 3,507 during the truce, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

Since October 2023, when Israel launched its war on Gaza, more than 73,118 Palestinians have been killed, the ministry reports.

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