The Palestine Football Association (PFA) has announced that Suleiman al-Obeid, a celebrated footballer known as the “Palestinian Pelé,” has been killed in an Israeli attack in southern Gaza. The PFA stated that al-Obeid was killed on Wednesday while among civilians waiting for humanitarian aid.
Al-Obeid, 41, was a prominent figure in Palestinian football, having scored more than 100 goals throughout his career. His professional journey included tenures with clubs Khadamat al-Shati, Gaza Sport, and Markaz Shabab al-Am’ari in the occupied West Bank. He also earned 24 caps for the Palestinian national team after his 2007 debut, scoring twice, including a memorable scissor-kick against Yemen in the 2010 West Asian Football Federation championship. He is survived by his wife and five children.
Al-Obeid’s death highlights the devastating toll the conflict has taken on the region’s athletic community. According to the PFA, at least 662 sportspeople and their relatives have been killed since the war began. The association reports that the number of footballers killed or who have died from starvation has reached 421, a figure that includes 103 children.
The war has also resulted in widespread destruction of sports infrastructure. The PFA states that 288 sports facilities—from stadiums and training grounds to gyms and clubhouses—have been damaged or reduced to rubble across Gaza and the West Bank. The vast majority of these sites, 268, were in Gaza. Among the facilities struck was the PFA’s own headquarters in Gaza, which was hit during an Israeli air raid.
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