In Gaza, Suleiman al-Obeid, the "Palestinian Pele" falls among his own people

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The 41-year-old striker, who died on August 6 in the Gaza Strip, was reportedly killed at an aid distribution point by the Israeli army, according to Palestinian sources. Many football stars are mourning his death.

Suleiman al-Obeid scored two goals and played 19 matches for the Palestinian national team. (DR)

Palestinian football is in mourning. Nicknamed the "Palestinian Pele" in homage to the Brazilian football king, Suleiman al-Obeid, 41, was killed on Wednesday, August 6, by the Israeli army. A figure of hope and resilience in the midst of the war ravaging the Gaza Strip, the striker leaves behind a wife and five children.

Since their home was destroyed earlier this year, Suleiman al-Obeid and his family had been surviving in a makeshift shelter amid the ruins of a Gaza neighborhood. Despite the relentless bombardment and hunger, the athlete clung to his daily workouts, surrounded by his friends. Like more than two million Palestinians, this father of three girls and two boys was also fighting for the survival of his loved ones in an open-air prison where mass starvation looms ever larger .

According to the Palestinian Football Association, it was while queuing for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip that the former national team player was killed by the army.

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