Ramallah - Saba:
The Palestinian Olympic Committee (POC) on Tuesday said a footballer and a boxer were killed in a massacre committed by Israeli airstrikes last night on a Gaza City beach.
In a statement, the Committee said that the Israeli massacre committed yesterday, Monday, following the bombing of a café on the Gaza beach, led to the martyrdom of soccer player Mustafa Abu Amireh and boxing champion Malak Musleh.
It explained that Abu Amireh played for the Al-Sadaka, Al-Shati, and Al-Zeitoun clubs, while Musleh, a rising boxing champion, aspired to raise the name of Palestine on the international stage.
POC added, "They were both martyred together in the massacre at Al-Baqa Cafe on the Gaza beach, when treacherous missiles surprised them, killing their dreams, sports, and joy in a single moment. They were there, searching for an outlet amidst a war that had left no outlet for young people. They died, along with dozens of civilians, in a scene that is difficult for the heart to bear."
The Committee added, "Mustafa, the player who roamed the stadiums of Gaza, was known for his high morals and fighting spirit on the field. He was a model for young people who were loyal to their homeland and club. As for Malak, she was a young dreamer, fighting skillfully in the ring, and carrying in her heart a dream of being the first to raise the Palestinian flag in international women's boxing championships."
The POC noted that with their passing, the list of martyrs of the sports, youth, and scouting movement since the start of the aggression on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, has risen to 617.