Overview

• Suleiman al-Obeid, nicknamed the ‘Pelé palestino’, was killed by Israeli forces on August 6 while waiting for humanitarian aid in southern Gaza, according to the Palestinian Football Association.
• UEFA’s brief homage on social media described al-Obeid as a beacon of hope but did not explain the circumstances of his death or attribute responsibility.
• On August 9, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah took to X to demand that UEFA explain “how, where and why” al-Obeid died and reaffirmed his solidarity with Gaza.
• The Palestinian Football Association condemned the incident as an attack on civilians seeking aid and highlighted the rising toll on footballers in the Gaza conflict.
• Salah’s intervention has intensified demands for sports governing bodies to adopt transparent stances on civilian suffering in conflict zones.