Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has spoken out after the death of a Palestinian footballer who was compared to the legendary Pele.
Suleiman al-Obeid, 41, was killed in an Israeli attack in southern Gaza on Thursday while waiting to receive humanitarian aid, according to the Palestine Football Association.
‘‘During his long career, al-Obeid, 41, scored more than 100 goals, making him one of the brightest stars of Palestinian football,” it said.
He represented Palestine’s national team on 24 occasions, scoring twice, and earned the nickname ‘the Palestinian Pele’.
Born in Gaza City, he was married with five children and represented his country during the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.
UEFA released a statement on August 8 stating: “Farewell to Suleiman al-Obeid, the 'Palestinian Pelé'.
“A talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times.”
Liverpool superstar Salah has long called for an end to the ‘massacres’ in Gaza and quoted UEFA’s statement on his official X account which has more than 19m followers.
Salah wrote: “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”
The Egypt international also screenshotted his X post and posted it on his Instagram account where he has over 65m followers.
SPORTbible have approached UEFA for comment.
Back in 2023, Salah pleaded with world leaders to intervene in the region so humanitarian aid could be delivered to those in need in Gaza following the deaths of nearly 500 people in an explosion at the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City.
In a video posted to his Instagram account, Salah said: “It’s not always easy to speak in time like this. There has been too much violence and too much heartbreak and brutality. The escalations in the recent weeks are unpalatable to witness. All lives are sacred and must be protected. The massacres need to stop. Families are being torn apart.
"What's clear now is that humanitarian aid to Gaza must be allowed immediately, the people there are in terrible conditions. The scenes at the hospital last night were horrifying. The people of Gaza need food, water and medical supplies urgently.
"I’m calling on world leaders to come together to prevent the further slaughter of innocent souls. Humanity must prevail.”
According to the Palestine FA, 421 footballers have been killed or died from starvation in Gaza, including 103 children. 288 sports facilities have been damaged or reduced to rubble across the region.
The United Nations rights office last month reported that Israeli forces had killed more than 1,300 Palestinians trying to receive food aid since late May.
Marcus Banks