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EXCLUSIVE: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told PK Press Club Digital that soccer players representing the Palestinian Authority targeted by military strikes also allegedly worked as terrorists for Hamas and jihadist groups.
“In recent weeks, false allegations have circulated alleging that the IDF deliberately targeted innocent Palestinian soccer players throughout the war,” the IDF said in a statement to PK Press Club Digital.
“In light of these claims, the IDF is now revealing the identities of Palestinian football players, referees and coaches who were presented as innocent athletes and civilians, but who in fact served as terrorists in the military wings of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, and were struck and eliminated by the IDF during the war.
IDF claims to have eliminated Hamas commander who participated in October 7
A fan flies a Palestinian flag amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas during the Israel-France soccer match, November 14, 2024. (Reuters/Gonzalo Fuentes)
“After an intelligence assessment, the IDF can now disclose the organizational affiliations and operational roles of these terrorists. In many cases, they have been presented internationally as actors only, with no mention of their affiliation with terrorist organizations.”
The Israeli military identified the players as Mohammed Mohammed Hassan Barakat, Mahmoud Kamal Mohammad Ali Al-Rifi, Mohammed Mansour, Ahmed Mohammed Hassan Abu Al-Atta, Abdullah Riyadh Abdullah Khattab, Ali Mahmoud Ahmed Al-Kurd, Mohammad Emad Ata Hussouna, Tariq Ziad Hussein Al-Hour, Mohammed Ziad Hussein Al-Hour, Mahmoud Osama Al-Jazzar and Mohammad Nidal Mohammed Al-Hawajri.
According to the IDF, three of the players were allegedly involved in the October 7, 2023 massacre, and others served in other terrorist operations and leadership roles.
“The false campaign depicting the Israeli military as deliberately targeting members of the soccer community, which was created as part of a broader effort promoted by various actors against the State of Israel, accompanies other false narratives advanced throughout the war,” the Israeli military added.
“In these campaigns, Palestinian terrorists struck and eliminated by the IDF were presented as journalists, aid workers and other civilian professionals, while their involvement in terrorist activities was deliberately concealed in order to promote false claims that they had been targeted because of their civilian professions.”
PK Press Club Digital contacted the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations for a response to the IDF’s claims.
Iran allegedly used soccer clubs to spy on citizens, opposition group calls for FIFA ban regime ahead of World Cup
FIFA President Gianni Infantino shakes hands with Basim Sheikh Suliman (left), vice president of the Israel Football Federation, as Jibril Rajoub (right), president of the Palestinian Football Federation, leaves the stage during the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada, April 30, 2026. (Reuters/Jennifer Gauthier)
The official Palestinian Football Federation (PFA) reported earlier this month that around 1,009 members of its sporting community had been killed by IDF forces since the war began in October 2023, according to Al Jazeera.
The exclusive IDF revelations come against the backdrop of a fierce diplomatic and public relations battle on the global sports stage.
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For more than two years, the Palestinian Football Federation, led by Jibril Rajoub, has aggressively lobbied the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and FIFA to suspend Israel from international competition. Rajoub and the PFA have repeatedly cited the growing death toll among Palestinian athletes and the destruction of sports infrastructure in Gaza as grounds for an immediate and indefinite ban.
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The campaign reached a boiling point at recent FIFA congresses. However, after extensive legal reviews, FIFA’s disciplinary committee ultimately rejected the PFA’s requests to fully suspend Israel.
Instead, FIFA recently chose to fine the Israel Football Federation (IFA) for unrelated disciplinary breaches and ordered the Israeli team to display a “Football Unites the World – No Discrimination” banner at future matches.
However, FIFA did not let the IFA walk away unscathed. In a compromise measure, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee chose to sanction the Israeli association for unrelated disciplinary breaches.
The IFA was fined 150,000 Swiss francs (about $190,700) for multiple violations of anti-discrimination obligations. Additionally, FIFA ordered the IFA to implement a mandatory anti-discrimination prevention plan and asked the Israeli team to prominently display “Football Unites the World – No to Discrimination” banners during upcoming matches.
