Israeli military spokesperson Nadav Shoshani on Sunday responded on X to a post by Premier League footballer Mohamed Salah, who had questioned the circumstances surrounding the death of Palestinian player Suleiman Al-Obeid.
Shoshani stated that "there are no records of any incidents involving Suleiman Al-Obeid after an initial investigation."
“For a deeper investigation, we need more details,” the spokesperson added.
Al-Obeid, 41, a former player for the Palestine national football team and widely known as the "Palestinian Pelé," was killed on Wednesday when Israeli forces attacked civilians waiting near an aid distribution center in southern Gaza, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) confirmed.
The PFA said that Al-Obeid, who was married with two sons and three daughters, made 24 appearances for the national team, scoring twice.
Salah questioned UEFA’s farewell tribute to former Palestinian player Suleiman Al-Obeid, specifically asking, “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”
Salah’s tweet went viral, surpassing six million views within an hour and climbing to 109 million views, more than 387,000 retweets, and 27,000 comments.
The post sparked widespread reactions across social media and became a focal point of global media attention.
Since the start of the Gaza war, Salah has faced criticism from many fans and observers for not posting any statements in support of Gaza.
Apart from a video shared on X in October 2023, Salah acknowledged the difficulty of speaking amid ongoing violence, heartbreak and brutality.
“All lives are sacred and must be protected,” he said, urging an end to the massacres tearing families apart. He called on world leaders to unite and prevent further loss of innocent lives.
Despite this, critics questioned why he did not explicitly mention Palestine, suggesting his silence implied neglect of the Palestinian people’s suffering.
Supporters had long awaited a stronger statement from Salah. Meanwhile, some pro-Israel voices accused him of implying Israel was responsible and questioned why he did not respond similarly to the death of Israeli footballer Lior Asulin, who was killed by Hamas at the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023.
The wife of the late Palestinian football star Al-Obeid, Doaa Al-Obeid, responded to Mohamed Salah’s tweet.
In her message to the Egyptian star, she responded to Mohamed Salah’s question of "how?" by stating, "Suleiman was martyred while striving to provide for his children."
Doaa Al-Obeid urged Salah to advocate for the rights of Suleiman, his family, and his children. She called on him to engage with FIFA and UEFA to raise global awareness about the circumstances surrounding Suleiman Al-Obeid’s death.
She also appealed to Salah to help relocate Suleiman’s children out of Gaza so they can live in a safe environment with access to medical and educational services, fulfilling the dreams their father had before his passing.
Earlier, the PFA said that 325 players, coaches, administrators, referees, and club board members in the Palestinian soccer community have died in the Israel-Hamas War.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 61,430 people and wounded 153,213. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, and more than 200 were taken captive.