GAZA CITY, Palestine/ISTANBUL

The director of Gaza Sports Club, the territory’s oldest sporting institution, was killed late Sunday in an Israeli airstrike that struck crowds waiting for humanitarian aid in the north of the enclave, according to the club and local media.

The club said in a Monday statement that its general director, Louay Estita, 46, was among those killed.

Local outlets reported the strike occurred near the Zakim crossing, where hundreds of residents had gathered in hopes of receiving aid.

Estita had led the club’s administration since 2015 and was previously a prominent handball player.

Last week, Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub said that the wider sports community has been devastated by the war in Gaza, describing the losses as “a catastrophe without precedent.”

According to Rajoub, 774 athletes and officials have been killed, including 355 football players, 277 members of sports federations and 142 scouts, while 119 others remain missing. He added that 15 sports journalists have also been killed and at least 288 sports facilities in Gaza and the occupied West Bank have been destroyed or badly damaged.

Israel has killed over 63,500 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. 

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.