39 martyrs and 656 wounded since the beginning of the genocide war on the Gaza Strip

Before July drew its curtain, Gaza faced a new chapter of loss—this time in its playgrounds, sports halls, and scouting fields.

Thirty-nine martyrs from among athletes, scouts, and youth were killed in this month alone, bringing the total number of martyrs from the sports, youth, and scouting movement to more than 656 since the start of the genocide.

These are not just numbers, but faces that once filled the arenas with light and hope.

The player Ismail Abu Dan was martyred, followed by Sami Al-Helou of Al-Tuffah Club, then Emad Yousef Al-Hawajri from Al-Ribat Club, and Imad Al-Abed Al-Fayoumi, former star of Al-Shuja’iya. Later, the soul of Ahmad Ali Asaad Salah of Shabab Al-Khader also ascended.

Among the scouts, the young flower Iman Mohammad Harz, a member of the Peace Scouts and Guides group, was martyred. Boxer Ahmad Bakhit was treacherously killed, and handball player Mohammad Omar Abdullah Abu Abdo fell as well.

Finally, the leader Asaad Abu Shawka, Vice President of the Palestinian Karate Federation, passed away as a martyr of prolonged displacement, after losing his home, his daughter, and his grandchildren. He departed without complaint, as if apologizing to life for having loved it too much.

The Palestinian Football Association topped the list of this immense loss—in a scene that forces us to ask:
How can sports endure amidst such systematic death?
How can a pure dream like play be slaughtered so brutally?