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EXCLUSIVE: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has told Pakinomist Digital that soccer players representing the Palestinian Authority that it targeted with military strikes were also allegedly working as terrorists for Hamas and jihadist groups.
“In recent weeks, false claims have been circulated that the IDF deliberately targeted innocent Palestinian soccer players throughout the war,” the IDF said in a statement to Pakinomist Digital.
“In light of these allegations, the IDF is now revealing the identities of Palestinian soccer players, referees and coaches who were presented as athletes and innocent civilians, but who actually served as terrorists in the military wings of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, and who were beaten and eliminated by the IDF.
IDF CLAIMS TO HAVE TAKEN OUT HAMAS COMMANDER WHO PARTICIPATED IN OCT. 7
Fan displays a Palestinian flag amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas at a football match between Israel and France on November 14, 2024. (REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes)
“After an intelligence assessment, the IDF can now reveal the organizational affiliation and operational roles of these terrorists. In many cases, they were portrayed internationally only as players, with no mention of their affiliation with terrorist organizations.”
The IDF 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, Mohammad Emad Ata Hussouna, Mo Al-Ziad Hussein, Mo Al-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 reportedly served in other terrorist operations and leadership roles.
“The false campaign portraying the IDF 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 IDF added.
“In these campaigns, Palestinian terrorists who were defeated and eliminated by the IDF were presented as journalists, humanitarian aid workers and other civilian professionals, while their involvement in terrorist activity was deliberately concealed to promote false claims that they had been targeted because of their civilian professions.”
Pakinomist Digital has reached out to the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations for a response to the IDF’s claims.
IRAN USED USED FOOTBALL CLUBS TO SPY ON CITIZENS, OPPOSITION GROUP CALLS FOR FIFA BAN REGIME BEFORE WORLD CUP
FIFA President Gianni Infantino shakes hands with Basim Sheikh Suliman (left), vice president of the Israel Football Association, as Jibril Rajoub (right), president of the Palestine Football Association, leaves the stage at the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada on April 30, 2026. (Reuters/Jennifer Gauthier)
The official Palestine Football Association (PFA) reported earlier this month that around 1,009 members of its athletic community had been killed by IDF forces since the war began in October 2023, according to Al Jazeera.
The IDF’s exclusive revelations come against the backdrop of a fierce diplomatic and PR battle on the global sporting stage.
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For over 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 rising death toll among Palestinian athletes and the destruction of sports infrastructure in Gaza as reasons for an immediate, indefinite ban.
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The campaign reached a boiling point at recent FIFA congresses. However, after extensive legal investigations, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee ultimately rejected the PFA’s demand to suspend Israel outright.
Instead, FIFA recently chose to fine the Israel Football Association (IFA) for unrelated disciplinary violations and ordered the Israeli team to display a “Football Unites the World – No to Discrimination” banner during upcoming matches.
However, FIFA did not let the IFA go away completely untouched. In a compromise measure, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee chose to punish the Israeli federation for unrelated disciplinary violations.
The IFA was fined 150,000 Swiss francs (about $190,700) for multiple breaches of anti-discrimination obligations. Additionally, FIFA ordered the IFA to implement a mandatory anti-discrimination plan and required the Israeli team to prominently display “Football Unites the World – No to Discrimination” banners during upcoming matches.
