Muhannad al-Lili: Palestinian Footballer Dies of Wounds Sustained in Israeli Airstrike

• Palestinian footballer Muhannad al-Lili has tragically lost his life after suffering injuries from an Israeli airstrike
• His passing comes just days after he tied the knot, drawing heartbreaking parallels to the recent death of Liverpool’s Diogo Jota
• al-Lili’s death brings the number of professional Palestinian footballers killed in the Gaza war to over 260

A once-promising football career and a young family’s future have been shattered.

Muhannad al-Lili, a professional footballer from the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, has died following injuries sustained in an Israeli drone attack.

The 30-year-old passed away on Thursday, July 3, 2025, after fighting for his life for several days in critical condition.

Israeli missile strike hits Muhannad al-Lili's family home

According to the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) and Middle East Eye, the deadly incident occurred when a missile, reportedly fired by an Israeli drone, struck al-Lili’s bedroom on the third floor of his family home.

He suffered severe head injuries and internal bleeding.

The blast happened last week, and though doctors battled to keep him alive, he succumbed to his wounds days later.

Muhannad al-Lili dies weeks after getting married

His funeral was held quietly in the Maghazi camp, where his club, Khadamat al-Maghazi, is based. It took place under the constant shadow of ongoing airstrikes.

Photos from his recent wedding, found circulating online, added a heartbreaking layer to the tragedy.

According to the Express Tribune, al-Lili had only just begun married life.

His wife had left Gaza for Norway to work shortly before the war began, hoping they would soon reunite. But that reunion never happened.

Al-Lili was unable to leave the enclave, despite efforts to gain safe passage. He never got the chance to meet his son, born overseas during the conflict.

Muhannad al-Lili's football career

al-Lili’s football journey began with Khadamat Al-Maghazi, a club based in central Gaza.

He rose through the youth system to become a key figure in the club’s historic promotion to the Palestinian Premier League in the 2016/17 season.

He later moved to Shabab Jabalia, spending two seasons with the club and helping the side finish second in the 2018/19 campaign.

Afterward, he signed for Gaza Sports Club, but a serious cruciate ligament injury stalled his playing career.

He eventually returned to the pitch with his boyhood club, Khadamat Al-Maghazi.

Al-Lili's death is not an isolated one. According to the PFA, he is the 265th Palestinian footballer to have died amid the war.

His passing adds to a growing list of sportsmen whose careers and lives have been cut short, not by the whistle of a referee, but by the sound of airstrikes.

Gaza’s sports community, already struggling with limited resources, continues to suffer heavy losses, both human and structural, under the ongoing bombardment.

Football world mourns after Diogo Jota's death

In a related report, YEN.com.gh shared that the football world has been left in mourning after the tragic passing of Diogo Jota.

The 28-year-old Liverpool forward is said to have lost his life in a car accident alongside his brother, André Jota.

Source: YEN.com.gh