A footballer who never got a chance to meet his newborn son has died on Thursday from injuries he sustained from an Israeli airstrike, Wafa news agency reported on Thursday, citing the Palestinian Football Association (PFA).Â
Muhannad Al-Lili, a player for the Khadamat Al-Maghazi Club, sustained injuries from an Israeli airstrike that targeted his home in the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza last Monday.
According to the PFA, a drone launched a missile that struck Muhannad’s third-floor bedroom, and resulted in severe head trauma and a major hemorrhage. He battled his injuries for days before he succumbed to them.
Al-Lili reportedly tried to leave Gaza to join his wife, who had traveled to Norway for work shortly before Israel’s war on Gaza started. He was unable to secure safe passage to leave and never had the chance to meet his newborn son, who was born overseas during the war.
Al-Lili began his football career with Khadamat Al-Maghazi, rising through the youth ranks to eventually lead the senior team to the Palestinian Premier League in the 2016/2017 season. He later transferred to Shabab Jabalia, where he played for two seasons and helped the team become runner-up in the 2018/2019 Premier League campaign.
He subsequently joined Gaza Sports Club, but a cruciate ligament injury prevented him from playing. He returned to the field with his original club, Khadamat Al-Maghazi.
Al-Lili’s death brings the total number of Palestinian football players to 265 according to the PFA.
