Latest news with #PalestinianPele
Gulf Today
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Gulf Today
Liverpool's Egyptian forward Salah slams UEFA over 'Palestinian Pele' tribute
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah has criticised Europe's football governing body UEFA for posting a tribute to "Palestinian Pele" Suleiman al-Obeid that did not mention the former international died after being hit by Israeli gunfire in the Gaza Strip. Obeid, 41, was killed on Wednesday when Israeli forces "targeted people waiting for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip", the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) said in a statement. Europe's football governing body UEFA posted on X: "Farewell to Suleiman al-Obeid, the 'Palestinian Pele'. A talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times." Egyptian striker Salah responded by posting: "Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?" Born in Gaza City, Obeid was married and had five children. He played 24 international matches for team Palestine. Palestinians transport on a cart people who were killed or injured while seeking food at a distribution point run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) group, on Salah al-Din road in Nusseirat. File/AFP In October 2023, Salah called on "world leaders to come together" to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza to "prevent further slaughter of innocent souls". Since the start of the Gaza war, triggered by Palestinian militant group Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, 662 people from the sport and scouting sector have been killed, including 321 in the football community, according to the PFA. Salah, who was the Premier League top scorer last season, is due to line up for Liverpool on Sunday in the Community Shield at Wembley against Crystal Palace, the traditional curtain-raiser to the English football season. Agence France-Presse
Al Bawaba
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
IDF responds to Mohamed Salah's post about 'Palestinian Pele'
ALBAWABA - A member of the Israeli army has responded to Egyptian footballer, Mohamed Salah, after his criticism of UEFA's recent post about the killing of "Palestinian Pele," Suleiman Obeid. At just the age of 41, Obeid was shot dead on August 6 by Israeli forces while awaiting humanitarian aid due to the ongoing famine in Gaza, which has caused the death of over 217 Palestinians, including 100 children. While the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) took to its official X (formerly known as Twitter) with a farewell message to Suleiman, the post didn't disclose the reason for his death, prompting Mohamed Salah's response on the same platform. Salah wrote, "Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?" alongside several other pro-Palestine X users who voiced the same opinion. A fellow X user wrote, "MENTION HIS DEATH CAUSE TOO! The one who killed him his is Israel, its a huge shame that you didn't mention that." Several others called for the ban of Israel from UEFA for its ongoing aggression on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, which resulted in the killing of over 60,000 Palestinians. Hey Mohamed, After an initial review, we found no records of any incidents involving Suleiman al-Obeid. In order to take a closer look, we need more details. — LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) August 10, 2025 In response to Salah, IDF International Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani wrote, "Hey Mohamed, After an initial review, we found no records of any incidents involving Suleiman al-Obeid. In order to take a closer look, we need more details." Shoshani's response resulted in a flood of comments from X users criticizing the Israeli army. A pro-Palestine user wrote, "So I should take the word of the people committing the crime? Got it." Another added, "can you check your records of how many childern you killed to date?"
The Independent
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Jeremy Corbyn and Gary Lineker join Mo Salah in condemnation of Uefa tribute to ‘Palestinian Pele'
Gary Lineker and Jeremy Corbyn have joined footballer Mohamed Salah in condemning Uefa's tribute to the late Suleiman Al-Obeid, known as the 'Palestinian Pele'. Al-Obeid, 41, was killed when Israeli forces targeted civilians waiting for humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to the Palestine Football Association (PFA). In a post paying tribute to the footballer on social media platform X, Uefa said: 'Farewell to Suleiman al-Obeid, the 'Palestinian Pele'. A talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times'. Liverpool player Mohamed Salah, called out the governing body for failing to reference the circumstances of his death, saying: 'Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?' Now, Gary Lineker, former England footballer and TV presenter, has taken to Instagram to share an article about the backlash to Uefa's post, writing: 'We can't hear you Uefa'. Jeremy Corbyn has also backed Salah's comments on X, saying: 'Well said Mo!'. Salah's social media post has so far been viewed by 73.4 million users. The Liverpool forward, 33, who has more than 19 million X followers, previously called for the massacres in the conflict to stop and for aid to be allowed into Gaza. In a video posted on Instagram in October 2023, he wrote: "It is not always easy to speak in times like this. There has been too much violence and too much heartbreak and brutality. "The escalations in the recent weeks is unbearable to witness. All lives are sacred and must be protected. The massacres need to stop. Families are being torn apart." The PFA said that Al-Obeid, who was married with two sons and three daughters, made 24 appearances for the national team, scoring twice. He was nicknamed the "Palestinian Pele", the PFA said. At least 38 Palestinians were killed overnight on Tuesday and into Wednesday while seeking aid from United Nations convoys and sites run by an Israeli-backed American contractor, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots when crowds approached its forces, but that it was not aware of any casualties. Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies, said another four people were killed in the Teina area, on a route leading to a site in southern Gaza run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor. The Al-Awda Hospital said it received the bodies of six people killed near a GHF site in central Gaza. Another 12 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes, according to the two hospitals. GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites. The military says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames their deaths on Hamas because its militants are entrenched in heavily populated areas. The United Nations has said that more than 1,300 people have been killed near aid distribution sites and aid convoys in Gaza since the launch of the US and Israel-backed aid distribution system, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
IDF int'l spox.: No record of any incident involving Suleiman al-Obeid
IDF spokesperson Nadav Shoshani: "After an initial review, we found no records of any incidents involving Suleiman al-Obeid. In order to take a closer look, we need more details." An IDF strike on August 6 did not result in any casualties in and around aid distribution centers, IDF spokesperson Lt.-Col. Nadav Shoshani said on social media. The report comes following widespread accusations that an IDF strike resulted in the death of soccer player Suleiman al-Obeid, known as the "Palestinian Pele," at an aid distribution site in southern Gaza. Following a tribute to Obeid by UEFA, Premier League star Mohammed Salah criticized the soccer body for not mentioning the circumstances behind his death. However, Shoshani replied to Salah, "After an initial review, we found no records of any incidents involving Suleiman al-Obeid. In order to take a closer look, we need more details." Soccer players killed during the Israel-Hamas War The PFA said on Saturday that 325 players, coaches, administrators, referees, and club board members in the Palestinian soccer community have died in the Israel-Hamas War. The PFA later posted a statement on its Facebook page attributed to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, calling Obeid "proof of the joy that can flourish in the hearts of people despite hardship." "He gave his talent and dedication to the children of Gaza and gave their dreams a hope to blossom despite the suffering," the statement read. "His death is a great loss to the world of football and to everyone who recognizes the power of sport to unite people." This is a developing story. Solve the daily Crossword
Qatar Tribune
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Salah challenges UEFA response to Palestinian footballer's death
PA Media/dpa London Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has called out UEFA for not saying how a footballer known as the 'Palestinian Pele' died in its tribute to him. The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) said on Wednesday that Suleiman Al-Obeid, 41, died in an Israeli attack in Gaza. UEFA wrote on X that he was 'a talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times'. Responding on Saturday, Egyptian star Salah wrote: 'Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?' Among those who praised his response was former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who replied: 'Well said Mo!' Salah, 33, who has more than 19 million X followers, previously called for the massacres in the conflict to stop and for aid to be allowed into Gaza. In a video posted on Instagram in October 2023, he said: 'It is not always easy to speak in times like this. There has been too much violence and too much heartbreak and brutality. 'The escalations in the recent weeks is unbearable to witness. All lives are sacred and must be protected. The massacres need to stop. Families are being torn apart.' The PFA said that Al-Obeid, who was married with two sons and three daughters, made 24 appearances for the national team, scoring twice. He was nicknamed the 'Palestinian Pele', the PFA said. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has been approached for comment.
