IDF Reveals Gaza Footballers Served as Terror Operatives in Hamas and Islamic Jihad

In response to recent international campaigns accusing Israel of targeting innocent Palestinian athletes, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) disclosed that several football players, coaches, and even an international referee from Gaza were actually militants affiliated with Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. These individuals, previously portrayed as innocent civilians, were involved in terrorist activities and some participated in the October 7 massacre.

The IDF emphasized that this revelation exposes a recurring tactic by terror groups to disguise operatives as civilians, including athletes, journalists, and aid workers, to manipulate international opinion. The military stated it will continue to expose such cases to present the full facts and counter false claims.

Among those identified by Israeli intelligence were Mohammed Barakat, a football player and Islamic Jihad militant involved in the October 7 attacks; Mahmoud Kamal Muhammad Ali Al-Rifi, a footballer and Hamas aerial unit platoon commander; and Mohammed Mansour, a player and coach who served as deputy commander of a Hamas battalion and also took part in the massacre. Others included Ahmad Muhammad Hassan Abu Al-Ata, a footballer and Islamic Jihad commander; Abdullah Riyad Abdullah Khatab, a footballer and anti-tank operative; and Mohammed Sami Mohammed Khatab, a FIFA international referee who was simultaneously an Islamic Jihad militant.

Additional names listed were Ali Mahmoud Ahmad Al-Khard, a player and coach commanding an Islamic Jihad unit in Rafah; Mohammed Emad Atta Hassouna, a footballer and Hamas militant who infiltrated Israel on October 7; Tarek Ziad Hussein Al-Hour, a player and Hamas operative; Mohammed Ziad Hussein Al-Hour, a player and Hamas platoon commander; Mahmoud Osama Al-Jazzar, a footballer and Islamic Jihad fighter; and Mohammed Nidal Mohammed Al-Hawajri, a player and Hamas commander in the Nuseirat area.

The IDF's disclosure aims to counter narratives that Israel targets non-combatant athletes and to clarify the dual roles these individuals played as both sports figures and terrorists during the recent conflict.