IDF Reveals Gaza Footballers Killed in War Were Hamas and PIJ Militants

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) disclosed on Wednesday that several Gaza-based football players, previously presented internationally as mere athletes, were in fact militants affiliated with Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist organizations. This revelation came amid false claims circulated during the recent conflict alleging that the IDF deliberately targeted innocent Palestinian footballers.

According to the IDF spokesperson, these individuals, including players, coaches, and referees, were active combatants in the military wings of Hamas and PIJ and were killed during military operations. The IDF also noted that this misleading campaign was part of a broader effort by various groups to portray Israel as intentionally attacking civilians, which included false portrayals of militants as journalists, aid workers, and other professionals to obscure their terrorist activities.

The IDF named several of the deceased militants, such as Mohammed Barkat, a football player and PIJ operative who infiltrated Israel on October 7; Mahmoud Kamal Muhammad Ali Al-Rifi, a football player and Hamas aerial unit platoon commander; and Mohammed Manzur, a player and coach who was deputy commander of a Hamas battalion and also crossed into Israel on October 7. Others listed include Ahmad Hassan Abu Al-Ata, Abdullah Riyad Abdullah Khatab, and international FIFA referee Mohammed Sami Mohammed Khatab, all linked to PIJ or Hamas military roles.

This disclosure aims to counteract misinformation and clarify that those killed were combatants, not innocent civilians, underscoring the complexity of the conflict in Gaza and the challenges in verifying identities amid wartime propaganda.