According to the Palestinian Football Association (PFA), a football player known as the “Palestine Bere” was killed in an attack in southern Israel.
Suleiman al-Obeid was killed Wednesday when Israeli troops attacked civilians awaiting humanitarian aid, the PFA said.
“In his long career, Al-Obeid, 41, has scored more than 100 goals, making him one of the smartest stars in Palestinian football,” it said.
Born in Gaza on March 24, 1984, Obeid started his football career at Khadamat al-Shati, and later played for Markaz Shabab al-Am'ari in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Sport and Gaza Sport. After his debut in 2007, Obeid scored 24 blocks and scored twice after his debut in 2007, most incredible kicks against Yemen during the 2010 West Asian Football Federation Championship.
His talent on the court earned him the nickname “The Baleneian Pelé”, a nod to the legendary Brazilian, widely praised as one of the greatest players of all time.
His death has increased the number of athletes who have failed in Gaza since the beginning of the war, with at least 662 athletes and their relatives killed.
“The number of football players killed or died of hunger has reached 421, including 103 children,” the PFA said.
Obeid survived by his wife and five children.
According to the PFA, 288 sports facilities have been damaged or reduced to rubble throughout Gaza and the West Bank, from stadiums and training grounds to gymnasiums and club houses. The vast majority of 268 are in Gaza, while 20 are in the West Bank, about half are directly in football.
During the Israeli air strike, the PFA headquarters in Gaza attacked.
More than 1,300 Palestinians have been reportedly killed near the aid allocation point managed by the Humanitarian Foundation in Gaza since the launch of the logistics group supported by the U.S. and Israel in late May.