'Palestinian Pele' killed while awaiting humanitarian aid, soccer association says
A former Palestinian national soccer team player and star of Gaza's Al-Shati'a Services Club was killed by Israeli forces while waiting to get humanitarian aid on Wednesday, according to the Palestinian Football Association (PFA).
Suleiman Al-Obeid, 41, was killed by Israeli "bullets," that "targeted" Palestinians who were "waiting for humanitarian aid in southern Gaza," the PFA said in a statement in Arabic.
The Israel Defense Forces did not immediately respond to ABC News' requests for comment on Al-Obeid's death.
Nicknamed the "Gazelle," "Black Pearl," and the Palestinian "Pele" -- in reference to the Brazilian soccer legend -- Al-Obeid was remembered by the PFA as a star.
Al-Obeid represented the Palestinian National Team 24 times, scoring two goals for the team -- the most famous of which was a bicycle kick against Yemen's National Team in the West Asian Federation's 2010 cup, according to the association.
At least 662 athletes and scouts have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023, the PFA said.
At least 321 members of the Palestinian soccer community have died since Oct. 7, 2023, the association said, including players, coaches, administrators, referees and club board members.
Al-Obeid, who was born in Gaza City, leaves behind his wife, two sons and three daughters, the PFA said.
The Union of European Football Associations remembered him as "a talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times," in a post on X.
Al-Obeid began his career at the Al-Shati'a Services Club in Gaza, then moved to the West Bank, joining the Al-Amari Youth Center from 2009 to 2013. There, he won the title of the first edition of the Palestinian Professional League in the 2010-2011 season, according to the PFA.
He then returned to Al-Shati'a Services Club in Gaza for one season before joining the Gaza Sporting Club. He was named the top scorer in the league during the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons, the PFA said.
