Gaza Aid Worker Killed by Israeli Strike en Route to Match
A 57-year-old Palestinian aid worker who had organized public screenings of World Cup matches across the Gaza Strip was killed by an Israeli missile strike on Tuesday evening while traveling in a taxi to coordinate a screening of the Egypt-Argentina match, according to The Guardian. Three other people were also killed in the attack.
The Attack
Mohammed al-Waheidi, director of the Egyptian Committee in Gaza, was heading to a screening in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City when an Israeli drone missile struck his taxi on al-Maghribi Street in the Sabra district, approximately one hour before the World Cup match was due to kick off. The taxi driver survived the attack.
The strike also killed two young brothers — Fari al-Deri, 8, and Hamza al-Deri, 10 — who were returning home from playing football, and Ahmed Daghmush, 30, who was struck by shrapnel while inside a relative’s house near the blast site.
Al-Waheidi’s cousin, Abd Alkhaleq al-Waheidi, described the moment the family learned of the tragedy: “We were gathered at a family event when we heard an explosion and were told that a car had been hit on al-Maghribi Street.” He described his cousin as “widely loved” with a “strong presence at family and community gatherings.”
Israeli Military Response
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the strike, stating that it had targeted “a terrorist in Hamas’ military wing” traveling in a vehicle in the northern Gaza Strip. The IDF spokesperson said al-Waheidi was not the intended target and acknowledged reports that “uninvolved civilians” were harmed, adding that the incident was under review.
“The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and takes all feasible measures to mitigate such harm,” the spokesperson said, declining to comment on whether the intended target had been killed or injured.
Notably, no Palestinian militant group has claimed any of the deceased as members, according to reports.
A Humanitarian Figure
Al-Waheidi had worked for years on aid and development projects in Gaza as director of the Egyptian Committee, a humanitarian body established by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to provide relief in the enclave. More recently, he had organized public screenings of World Cup matches across the Strip, bringing entertainment to displaced populations living amid the wreckage of war.
His 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.”
The Egyptian Relief Committee described al-Waheidi as “a leading figure in community reconciliation and a respected national and social personality.”
Broader Context
The killing comes against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire brokered by the United States in October 2025. Despite the halt to major combat operations, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military action since the ceasefire was declared, and nearly 3,500 wounded, according to reports. The Israeli army continues to occupy more than 60% of the Gaza Strip, and no significant reconstruction has been permitted.
Al-Waheidi’s death adds to a devastating toll on aid workers in Gaza. As of late April 2026, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) had recorded the killing of at least 593 aid workers in the enclave since October 2023, including eight since the ceasefire.
Diplomatic Fallout
Egyptian officials have raised the issue directly with Israel, expressing opposition to what they described as “the continued policy of assassinations.” The incident threatens to further strain relations between Cairo and Jerusalem at a delicate moment, as Egypt plays a key mediating role in stalled ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
Hamas chief negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya arrived in Cairo on Thursday for further talks, as the two sides remain deadlocked over implementing the second phase of the ceasefire deal, which involves Hamas’s disarmament and Israeli military withdrawals.
What’s Next
The World Cup screenings that al-Waheidi organized have continued, with Palestinians gathering in large numbers to watch matches despite the ongoing destruction. But his death represents a significant loss for humanitarian coordination in Gaza and raises urgent questions about the protection of civilian aid workers under the current ceasefire framework.
As the IDF conducts its internal review of the incident, human rights organizations have called for accountability, pointing to what they describe as a pattern of attacks on civilians and humanitarian workers in Gaza that has persisted even after the ceasefire.