IDF Reveals Gaza Football Figures Were Active Terrorists in October Attacks

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) disclosed on Wednesday that several individuals presented internationally as leading football players, coaches, and referees from Gaza were in fact active terrorists affiliated with militant groups in the Gaza Strip. These figures were portrayed worldwide as prominent athletes, and attacks against them were framed as deliberate Israeli targeting of Palestinian sports figures.

Among those revealed was Ahmad Abu al-Ata, a member of the Islamic Jihad military wing who also played for multiple Gaza football clubs including Ittihad Shuja'iya, Al-Tufah, and Al Ahli Gaza. After his death, Western and Arab media outlets such as Reuters, ESPN, and Al Jazeera published sympathetic profiles depicting him as an innocent footballer. However, in June 2026, Islamic Jihad’s military wing publicly identified him as a "platoon commander."

Another case involved Muhammad Sami Muhammad Hatab, a FIFA assistant referee who officiated international matches including the West Asian Championship. Following his death, the Asian Football Confederation issued condolences and a French parliamentarian called for a moment of silence in his honor. The IDF revealed that Hatab was an Islamic Jihad terrorist operating in central Gaza.

The IDF also released a list of 12 individuals dubbed the "terror team," all of whom combined roles as football players or coaches with militant leadership positions in Hamas or Islamic Jihad. Several participated in the October 7 attacks on Israel. The list includes Muhammad Barkat, Mahmoud Kamal Muhammad Ali Al-Rifi, Muhammad Mansour, and others identified as commanders or operatives in terror activities.

The IDF condemned what it called a "false campaign" portraying these terrorists as innocent sports figures targeted by Israel, comparing it to previous misinformation efforts that misrepresented militants as journalists or aid workers. The military pledged to continue exposing such cases to present the full facts and counter misleading narratives.