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Palestinian footballer Suleiman Al Obaid, known as the “Pele of Palestine,” was killed by Israeli fire in Gaza while waiting for aid. He earned 19 caps and scored over 100 goals.
Palestinian football star Suleiman Al Obeid (X)
Former Palestinian international footballer Suleiman Al Obaid has been killed by Israeli fire in southern Gaza while reportedly waiting in line for humanitarian aid, according to the Palestinian Football Association (PFA).
The 41-year-old was queuing at an aid distribution centre in Rafah on Wednesday when he was fatally shot, the association confirmed.
Al Obaid was one of the most celebrated footballers to emerge from the Gaza Strip, widely known as the “Pele of Palestine,” a tribute to the legendary Brazilian forward.
His death marks yet another grim milestone in the ongoing conflict. According to the PFA, he is the 662nd member of Gaza’s sporting community to be killed since the war began in October 2023.
Al Obaid’s international career
Al Obaid earned 19 caps for the Palestinian national team and scored two international goals — one against Yemen in 2010 and another in a friendly against Indonesia in 2011. He made his national debut against Iraq during the 2007 West Asian Championship and represented Palestine in major tournaments including the Asian Cup, Pan Arab Games, and FIFA World Cup qualifiers. His last appearance for the national team came in 2013 against Qatar.
Domestically, he played for clubs including Khidmat Al Shatia, Shabab Al Amari, and Gaza Sport, excelling in multiple attacking roles — from centre forward to right winger.
Between 2016 and 2018, he claimed the Golden Boot in the Gaza Strip Premier League for three consecutive seasons, scoring more than 100 goals across his career.
“During his long career, Al Obaid scored more than 100 goals, making him one of the brightest stars of Palestinian football,” the PFA said in a statement mourning his death.
The war’s toll on Palestinian athletes
Al Obaid is the third national team player confirmed to have been killed since the start of the war, following the deaths of Mouyin Al-Maghribi and Mohammed Barakat earlier this year.
The targeting of athletes has raised alarm among sporting bodies. The Palestine Olympic Committee (POC) reported that at least 13 athletes and coaches were killed by Israeli strikes or ground incursions in July 2025 alone. A separate statement from the POC on July 29 said that 40 Palestinian athletes had been killed that month.
“With each passing day, new chapters of the Palestinian sports tragedy unfold,” the committee said. “These athletes are not killed on battlefields; they are assassinated while running after their children or searching for water and medicine. This war of starvation now hunts athletes, just as it does doctors and civilians.”
In Gaza, where football often offers rare moments of joy and unity amid hardship, Al Obaid’s legacy will endure long after the final whistle.
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term…Read More
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term… Read More
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