An Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus resulted in the death of a Palestinian footballer overnight on Thursday.
In response to an army-protected settler incursion to Joseph’s Tomb, Ahmad Atef Daraghama, 23, was killed by Israeli gunfire.
An attacking midfielder for the Thaqafi Tulkarm football club, Draghama was a professional football player from the nearby city of Tubas.
Palestinians and the Israeli army engaged in street confrontations and armed clashes, during which he was killed. The exact nature of his involvement in the conflicts was unclear.
It was reported that Palestinians hurled explosives at troops and opened fire at them, which was returned by them, and “suspects were wounded.”
An acquaintance of Daraghama, Ahmed Rajoub, described his passing as a “sad day for Palestinian sports.”.
Rajoub stated that Palestinian football stars’ dreams and hopes had been snatched away by an occupation that is racist and fascist.
With six goals for Thaqafi Tulkarm in the West Bank Premier League of 2022/2023, Daraghama was the leading goalscorer.
According to a Facebook post from Thaqafi Tulkarm, sixth in the league, he was a great player.
Sabah, the team’s manager, told local media that football players are honored and celebrated worldwide, but Israel’s occupation forces in Palestine kill them.
Mohammad Shtayyeh, the Palestinian Prime Minister, called on Fifa to condemn Israel for killing Daraghma.
Since the Second Intifada, more than 160 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank this year.
Despite Palestinian objections, Israeli forces regularly perpetrate violence at Joseph’s Tomb by escorting settlers to the site at least once a month.
Several counter-narratives exist regarding the site’s religious and national significance to Palestinians and Israelis.
Among Palestinians, the shrine is believed to be the burial site of an early twentieth-century cleric who lived in the nearby Balata neighborhood. At the same time, Israelis claim it is the tomb of the Prophet Joseph, a figure revered by both Jewish and Islamic communities.
Last month, an army-protected incursion into the site by far-right Israeli lawmakers led to the death of 15-year-old Mahdi Mohammad Hashash.
