Majed Abu Maraheel, the first Palestinian athlete to compete in the Olympic Games, passed away on Wednesday at the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza due to kidney failure. His death was attributed to power outages and medical shortages resulting from the ongoing Israeli war and siege of the enclave.
At 61, Abu Maraheel made history as the first Palestinian flag bearer at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where he competed in the 10km race. Since his pioneering participation, over 20 Palestinian athletes have competed in subsequent Olympic Games.
“Majed was a Palestinian icon, and he will always be remembered as such,” his brother told Paltoday TV after the funeral. Efforts to evacuate him to Egypt for treatment were thwarted when the Rafah crossing was closed by Israel, causing his condition to deteriorate further.
In preparation for the Olympics, Abu Maraheel often ran daily from his home in Gaza to the Erez Crossing with Israel, a route he frequently traveled as a day laborer. This crossing was closed in October due to an Israeli blockade and was only reopened last month.
After his Olympic stint, Abu Maraheel dedicated himself to coaching, helping to train other Palestinian runners, including Nader el-Masri, who competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.