Israeli Soldiers Kill Palestinian Footballer

On Wednesday, the Palestinian Health Ministry denounced that the Israeli occupation forces assassinated Ahmad Daraghma, a 23-year-old soccer player with the Thaqafi Soccer Team of Tulkarem.

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Soldiers fired at him in the city of Nablus, where over 25 people were also injured as a result of Israeli military operations.

Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called on the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to condemn the Israeli killing of Daraghma, the WAFA newspaper reported.

The Palestinian athlete "was hit by live rounds in the back and feet, as confrontations erupted when a sizable Israeli army force swept into the eastern part of Nablus to provide protection for Israeli settlers who stormed Joseph’s Tomb," it added.

Over 25 people were injured by Israeli soldiers, and most of them were taken to the hospitals in the city for urgent medical treatment, the Health Ministry said, adding that most of the casualties were wounded by live ammunition.

Eyewitnesses said that fierce clashes broke out between Palestinians and the Israeli soldiers, adding that the soldiers opened fire, teargas, and rubber bullets to disperse them.

The death of Daraghma comes amid a growing tension between the Palestinians and Israel that has been going on since March. Official Palestinian figures said that since January, over 200 Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers.