Suleiman Ahmed Zaid Al‑Obeid, widely hailed as the “Palestinian Pelé,” has been killed in an Israeli attack. The 41-year-old former captain of the Palestine national team died when Israeli forces struck while he and other civilians were awaiting humanitarian aid in southern Gaza. Medical authorities in Gaza confirmed his death on 6 August.
The Palestine Football Association (PFA) issued a statement:
“Suleiman Al‑Obeid, former captain of the Palestine national team, was killed in an Israeli attack while he was among civilians waiting for humanitarian assistance in Gaza’s southern region. The attack directly targeted civilians.”
Al‑Obeid began his football journey with Shabab Al‑Shati (Beach Services Club) in Gaza before moving on to Al‑Amari in the West Bank. He scored his first international goal against Yemen during the 2010 West Asian Football Federation Championship and represented Palestine in both the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers (2012) and 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
In a distinguished career, he notched more than 100 goals and earned the Gaza Strip Premier League Golden Boot for three consecutive seasons (2016, 2017 and 2018). He appeared in 19 international matches, scoring twice.
The PFA mourned the loss, stating that Al‑Obeid is the third national team player killed since the conflict began following Mouyin Al‑Maghribi and Mohammed Barakat in January and March 2024, respectively.His death brings the total number of members of the Gaza sports community killed during the aggression to 662, according to the PFA.