Salah reshared a post on his X platform account about the death of Palestinian player Suleiman Al-Obeid, commenting: “Can you tell us how, where, and why he died?” The Palestinian Football Association announced last Wednesday the death of the Palestinian national team player, Suleiman Al-Obeid, nicknamed “The Palestinian Pele,” after he was shot while waiting for humanitarian aid in southern Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Federation stated: “The former national team player and star of the Shati Services team, Suleiman Al-Obeid, was martyred in southern Gaza Strip.” Al-Obeid was born in Gaza on March 24, 1984, and started his football career with the Shati Services Club, later playing for the Am’ari Youth Center in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Sports Club. He was a regular member of the Palestinian national team since his first appearance in 2007, playing 24 international matches and scoring two goals, the most notable being his famous bicycle kick goal against Yemen in the 2010 West Asian Football Federation Championship. He earned the title “Palestinian Pele” in recognition of his great talent, referencing the legendary Brazilian footballer considered one of the greatest players in history. Al-Obeid, who had lived in the strip since 2010, was among six players from the national team from Gaza who were turned back at the Jordanian border for “security reasons” while on their way to a friendly match in Mauritania, according to Palestinian media.
