GAZA CITY – The world of sports has been dealt another horrific blow, as Palestinian football legend Suleiman Al-Obaid, known to millions as the “Pele of Palestine,” was killed in an Israeli attack. The tragic death of the celebrated striker is the latest chapter in a devastating story of violence that has turned sports in Gaza into a nightmare.
Al-Obaid, a father of five and one of the finest footballers Palestine has ever produced, was targeted while standing in a queue for desperately needed humanitarian aid. His death underscores the perilous reality for Gaza’s athletes, who are not only fighting for their sport but for their very survival.
The numbers are staggering and sickening. According to Palestinian officials, a staggering 800 Palestinian athletes and sports officials have been killed since the conflict began in October 2023. Of those, over 400 were football players, with nearly half of them children. The Palestinian Football Association reports that the toll includes players, coaches, referees, and club board members—a complete decimation of a once-vibrant sports community.
The killing of Al-Obaid—a man famous for a remarkable scissor kick goal against Yemen in 2010—is not an isolated incident. It is a chilling reminder of a systematic onslaught against not just people, but against the very fabric of society. Beyond the human cost, Palestinian officials say that a shocking 90% of all sports infrastructure in Gaza has been destroyed, including stadiums, gyms, and the headquarters of the Palestinian Football Association itself.
As the world mourns the loss of a football icon, the question hangs in the air: what hope remains for a new generation of athletes when their fields are rubble and their heroes are being killed while waiting for food? The sports community in Gaza is not just suffering; it is being extinguished. This is the hell of sports, and for the families of Suleiman Al-Obaid and hundreds of others, it is a hell they are forced to live every day.
