Palestine footballing great Ahed Zaqout has been killed in Gaza after an Israeli shell hit his house while he was asleep, according to Palestinian medical officials.
The former midfielder was not involved politically with Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, or Israel and has not previously stated his clear political views.
Khaled Zaher, a Gaza sports journalist, told Reuters: "Palestine has lost one of its best players, he may have been the best midfielder we ever had."
The 49-year-old was a part of the Palestinian team that played a friendly against a group of French stars that included UEFA's president Michel Platini in 1994.
