Mohamed Salah of Liverpool has blasted UEFA, the organization that oversees football in Europe, for publishing a tribute to Suleiman al-Obeid, a former international who was killed by Israeli gunfire in the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) said in a statement that Obeid, 41, was killed on Wednesday when Israeli forces “targeted people waiting for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip.”
“Farewell to Suleiman al-Obeid, the ‘Palestinian Pele,'” wrote UEFA, the organization that oversees football in Europe, on X. A gift that, even in the most dire circumstances, offered hope to innumerable children.
In response, Salah, an Egyptian striker, posted: “Can you tell us how he died, where he died, and why?”
Obeid was born in Gaza City, married, and had five kids. He represented Palestine in 24 international games.
Salah urged “world leaders to come together” in October 2023 to permit humanitarian aid to enter Gaza in order to “avoid further slaughter of innocent souls.”
According to the PFA, 662 members of the sport and scouting community have died since the Gaza War began, which was sparked by the October 2023 attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Of these, 321 were members of the football community.
Salah, the Premier League’s top scorer the previous season, is scheduled to play for Liverpool against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield, the customary opening match of the English football season, on Sunday at Wembley.