IDF Reveals 11 Palestinian Footballers Were Terror Operatives in Hamas and Islamic Jihad

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) disclosed the identities of 11 Palestinian individuals previously presented internationally as innocent football players, revealing they were in fact operatives for Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip. This announcement came on Wednesday as a direct response to recent false campaigns alleging that Israeli forces deliberately targeted innocent Palestinian footballers during the ongoing conflict.

According to the IDF spokesperson, these individuals were killed during military operations and had been falsely portrayed abroad as non-combatant athletes without any mention of their terrorist affiliations. Following intelligence assessments, the IDF was able to confirm their organizational ties and operational roles within the military wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Among those named are Mohammed Hassan Barkat, Mahmoud Kamal Ali Al-Rifi, Mohammed Mansour, Ahmad Hassan Abu Al-Ata, Abdullah Riyad Abdullah Khatab, Ali Mahmoud Ahmad Al-Kurd, Mohammed Emad Ata Hassouna, Tarek Ziad Hussein Al-Khour, Mohammed Ziad Hussein Al-Khour, Mahmoud Osama Al-Jazzar, and Mohammed Nidal Mohammed Al-Khawajri. Notably, three of these operatives were involved in the October 7 massacre.

The IDF emphasized that the campaign portraying the military as targeting members of the football community is part of a broader effort to spread false narratives against Israel. Similar campaigns have misrepresented deceased militants as journalists, humanitarian workers, and other civilians, concealing their terrorist activities. This revelation occurs amid intense diplomatic and public relations battles in the international sports arena, where the Palestinian Football Association (PFA), led by Jibril Rajoub, has sought for over two years to suspend Israel from international competitions, citing the killing of athletes and destruction of sports infrastructure in Gaza.

Despite these efforts, FIFA has rejected the PFA's demands after thorough legal reviews but fined the Israel Football Association for unrelated disciplinary violations and required the Israeli national team to display an anti-discrimination slogan during upcoming matches.