IDF-Hamas Soccer Match Canceled Over Referee Dispute in 1993

A remarkable newspaper clipping from 1993 has resurfaced, detailing an almost-realized soccer match between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas operatives in Gaza. The proposed game, which seems unfathomable today, was reportedly called off due to a disagreement over who would officiate.

The incident occurred when then-Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Matan Vilnai and other senior IDF officers were touring Gaza. Their convoy stopped near a soccer field in the Sabra neighborhood, where a game organized by Hamas for Eid al-Fitr was underway. Ten IDF jeeps pulled up, and Vilnai, along with the commander of IDF forces in Gaza at the time, Brig. Gen. Yom Tov Samia, entered the field and spoke with the players.

One participant, Yusef al-Daholi, described his shock at seeing the Israeli officers smiling and inquiring about the game, a stark contrast to his usual perception of them as military threats. The surprising proposal for a joint soccer match was then made.

However, the game never materialized, not due to security or political issues, but a sporting dispute. Vilnai and Samia suggested two soldiers and one local youth serve as referees, but the players demanded two referees from their side and one soldier. An agreement could not be reached.

The event concluded with handshakes, but the report also noted a telling detail about the complex reality of the time. While officers spoke with players, some soldiers played with local children. As the IDF convoy departed, a child waved goodbye with one hand while throwing a stone at the departing vehicles with the other, an act the soldiers reportedly ignored with a smile.

This story, predating Hamas's takeover of Gaza and the October 7th attacks, highlights a vastly different period in Israeli-Hamas relations. The article concludes by noting online reactions, with one user calling the story a "super-conspiracy" and highlighting the child's dual action of waving and throwing a stone as emblematic of the Palestinian-leftist relationship.