Over the past 2 years, Israel has killed over 600 athletes in Gaza and destroyed nearly all 264 sports clubs and facilities, effectively erasing an entire sporting community. Yet despite this devastation, Israel continues to participate freely in global sporting events.

The world’s complicity in these war crimes is unspeakable. Many of these athletes were killed with members of their families.

Please make sure everyone sees this:

This is one of the most heartbreaking photos I’m posting. I came across it today.

On the left is Suleiman al-Obeid, a star player for Khadamat al-Shati FC. On the right is Mohammad al-Malfouh, who played for Shabab Jabalia FC. The photo was taken in 2019, after a match between their two teams. Al-Malfouh posted it on his Facebook page with the caption: “Thank God, always and forever.” It was a proud moment for him to face al-Obeid, one of Gaza’s soccer legends, known as the “Pelé of Palestine.”
We now know that Israel killed Suleiman al-Obeid on August 6, 2025, while he was out seeking food. What was not widely known until now is that Mohammad al-Malfouh was killed much earlier, on December 11, 2023.

I feel a personal connection to both of them. I was born in al-Shati Camp, the home team of al-Obeid. As a teenager, I trained with the youth team of Shabab Jabalia FC, the very club where, years later, al-Malfouh would join the first team. I was teaching English in local schools whole al-Malfouh was named one of Gaza’s 10 top scorers in 2018.

My own soccer coach at Shabab Jabalia, Nihad al-Malfouh, Mohammad’s uncle, was killed in the same airstrike that took Mohammad’s life.

In the comments are more photo of Mohammad al-Malfouh (1996-2023)
Suleiman al-Obeid (1984-2025) From a match while playing for Shabab Jabalia FC.