In recent weeks, false claims have been circulated that the IDF deliberately targeted innocent Palestinian football players throughout the war.
Against the backdrop of these claims, the IDF is now revealing Palestinian footballers, referees, and coaches who were presented as innocent athletes and civilians, but who were in fact terrorists in the military wing of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the Gaza Strip, and were eliminated by the IDF during the war.
Following an intelligence investigation, their organizational affiliation and roles can be revealed. In many cases, they were presented to the world solely as footballers, without mentioning their affiliation with terrorist organizations.
The false campaign to portray the IDF as having deliberately attacked football players, which is part of an effort promoted by various entities against the State of Israel, stands alongside other false campaigns promoted during the war. In these campaigns, Palestinian terrorists eliminated by the IDF were presented as journalists, aid workers, and other professionals, while concealing their involvement in terrorist activities, with the aim of promoting false claims that these individuals were attacked due to their “civilian” professions.
The IDF will continue to act to expose such cases in order to present the full facts and refute claims that do not reflect reality.
The terrorists are attached:
1. Mohammed Barakat – Football player – Terrorist in Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) who infiltrated Israel on October 7th.
2. Mahmoud Kamal Mohammed Ali Al-Rifi – Football player – Company commander in the aerial array of Hamas’s military wing.
3. Mohammed Manasra – Football player and coach – Deputy commander of the Nuseirat battalion in Hamas’s military wing who infiltrated Israel on October 7th.
4. Ahmed Mohammed Hassan Abu Al-Ata – Football player – Platoon commander in PIJ.
5. Abdullah Riyad Abdullah Khatab – Football player – Terrorist in PIJ’s anti-tank array.
6. Mohammed Sami Mohammed Khatab – International FIFA referee – PIJ terrorist in the Central Camps.
7. Ali Mahmoud Ahmed Al-Kard – Football player and coach – Platoon commander in PIJ in Rafah.
8. Mohammed Emad Atta Hassouna – Football player – Terrorist in Hamas’s military wing, infiltrated Israeli territory on October 7th.
9. Tarek Ziad Hussein Al-Hor – Football player – Terrorist in Hamas’s military wing.
10. Mohammed Ziad Hussein Al-Hor – Football player – Platoon commander in Hamas’s military wing in Nuseirat.
11. Mahmoud Osama Al-Jazar – Football player – Terrorist fighter in PIJ.
12. Mohammed Nidal Mohammed Al-Huajri – Football player – Combat commander in Hamas’s military wing in Nuseirat.