The Palestine Football Association said former national-team striker Suleiman al-Obeid was shot dead by Israeli forces on 6 August while he was among civilians waiting for humanitarian aid in southern Gaza. The 41-year-old forward, nicknamed the “Palestinian Pelé”, scored more than 100 goals in a career that included 24 appearances for Palestine and left a wife and five children. Europe’s football governing body UEFA issued a condolence message for al-Obeid but made no reference to how he died. Liverpool star Mohamed Salah publicly rebuked UEFA, asking the organisation to explain “how he died, where and why”, intensifying pressure on the body to acknowledge the circumstances of the killing. The PFA says 325 players, coaches and officials in Palestinian football have been killed since the Gaza war began in October 2023, part of a wider conflict that the United Nations estimates has claimed more than 1,000 Palestinian lives near aid distribution points alone. Al-Obeid’s death and the controversy surrounding UEFA’s statement have renewed scrutiny of how international sports organisations address the humanitarian toll of the conflict.