Former Israeli footballer Lior Asulin killed by Hamas at Supernova festival

Asulin, who played for teams such as Hapoel Tel Aviv and Apollon Limassol, was among the more than 260 people murdered at the music festival near the Gaza border

Lior Asulin won the Israel State Cup with Bnei Sakhnin during his career (Getty Images)

Former Israeli footballer Lior Asulin is among those killed by Hamas militants at the Supernova music festival.

Early on Saturday morning, Hamas targeted the festival, a techno rave in the desert near the Gaza border, with videos shared on social media and by Israeli news outlets showing dozens of festival-goers running through an open field as gunshots rang out.

The Israeli rescue service Zaka later said its paramedics removed more than 260 bodies from the festival following the militant attack. The total figure of bodies found is expected to be higher, as other paramedic teams were also working in the area and Zaka added that the bodies “haven’t all been collected yet”.

It has now been confirmed that among those dead was ex-footballer Asulin, who had a 20-year professional career from 1997 to 2017. He played in the Israeli Premier League for teams such as Hapoel Tel Aviv, Beitar Jerusalem and Maccabi Herzliya, while also having a spell on loan in Cyprus with Apollon Limassol.

And Hapoel Tel Aviv confirmed his death with a post on Twitter/X expressing their condolences to Asulin’s family.

“With great sadness, after many hours when he was declared missing, we have been informed that our former player Lior Asulin was murdered by terrorists at the party in Re’im,” Hapoel announced.

“The Hapoel Tel Aviv club bows its head and sends condolences and strength to Lior’s family at this difficult time.”

The striker scored more than 175 goals during his career and, while on loan at Bnei Sakhnin during the 2003-04 season, helped them become the first Arab team to win the Israel State Cup after beating Hapoel Haifa 4-1 in the final.

Lior Asulin scored in the 2004 Israel State Cup final against Hapoel Haifa (Getty Images)

Off the field, Asulin reportedly spent time in prison, being released in August 2022, and he was celebrating his 43rd birthday at the Supernova festival before his untimely death.

Eyal Lachman, who managed Asulin during his trophy-winning loan spell at Bnei Sakhnin, also expressed his condolences after the news.

Lachman said: “A guy with a heart of gold, that was his most outstanding characteristic, they always said that his most outstanding characteristic was to give back, I saw that the most outstanding characteristic was to give his friends his soul.

“I heard yesterday that he was missing, the first thought that came to my mind was what a beautiful life he could have had and what a different life he spent at the end. Very sad, all the time he simply suffered.”