Mohamed Salah: Can someone tell me how Israel killed the Palestinian Pelé?

Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian soccer star who plays for Liverpool’s Premiere League club and serves as captain of Egypt’s national team, had three questions for the Union of European Football Associations on Saturday after the governing body acknowledged the death of another venerated former player.

“Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?” asked Salah in response to the UEFA’s vague tribute to Suleiman Al-Obeid, who was nicknamed the “Palestinian Pelé” during his career with the Palestinian National Team.

The soccer organization had written a simple 21-word “farewell” message to Al-Obeid, calling him “a talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times.”

The UEFA made no mention of reports from the Palestine Football Association that Al-Obeid last week became one of the nearly 1,400 Palestinians who have been killed while seeking aid since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an Israel- and U.S.-backed, privatized organization, began operating aid hubs in Gaza.

As with the Israel Defense Forces’ killings of aid workers and bombings of so-called “safe zones” since Israel began bombing Gaza in October 2023, the IDF has claimed its killings of Palestinians seeking desperately-needed food have been inadvertent—but Israeli soldiers themselves have described being ordered to shoot at civilians who approach the aid sites.

Salah has been an outspoken advocate for Palestinians since Israel began its attacks, which have killed more than 61,000 people, and imposed a near-total blockade that has caused an “unfolding” famine, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. At least 217 Palestinians have now been starved to death, including at least 100 children.

The Peace and Justice Project, founded by British Parliament member Jeremy Corbyn, applauded Salah’s criticism of UEFA.