90 million react to Mo Salah’s probe on Palestinian Pele’s killing in Gaza

Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah has asked some pertinent questions on the death of footballer Suleiman al-Obeid, nicknamed the 'Palestinian Pele'.

"Can you tell us how he died, where and why?" Salah said, quoting a post from European football body UEFA that wrote a one-line obituary to the 41-year-old, who died in southern Gaza on Wednesday.

"A talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times," UEFA posted, not mentioning the 'how, where and why".

But Salah's post kicked off a debate, reaching 90 million views in 24 hours. The answer to Salah's questions could be found in a detailed obituary of al-Obeid, written by the Palestinian Football Association (PFA). "Suleiman al-Obeid, was martyred after Israeli forces targeted those waiting for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip," PFA said.

The Association said two more of its footballers, Muath Alaa Al-Hawajri and Nasrallah Al-Muqata'a, were killed while waiting for humanitarian aid. "The Palestinian football community counts 325 martyrs since October 7," PFA said.

Al-Obeid was born on March 24, 1984, in Gaza City and earned 24 caps for the senior national team, scoring two goals, including a famous scissors kick against Yemen in the 2010 West Asian Football Federation Championship.

"The Gazelle, the Black Pearl, Henry of Palestine, and the Pele of Palestinian football are all nicknames for the late star who strode the Palestinian playing fields," PFA said.

According to official accounts, at least 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli shellings, the majority in Gaza, since October 7, 2023.