IDF reveals identities of Gaza terrorists who doubled as professional soccer players, coaches

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have disputed claims of targeting innocent Palestinian soccer players, referees, and coaches in Gaza. Following a military intelligence assessment, the IDF revealed the identities of 12 individuals, asserting they were operatives affiliated with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).

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The IDF can now disclose these terrorists’ organizational affiliations and operational roles.

"The IDF can now disclose these terrorists’ organizational affiliations and operational roles," the military stated. The IDF highlighted that these individuals were often internationally portrayed solely as athletes, with their terrorist affiliations deliberately concealed. This tactic, the military claims, is part of a broader campaign by various actors against Israel to promote false narratives.

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In many cases, they were portrayed internationally only as players, with no mention of their affiliation with terrorist organizations.

Among those identified were PIJ terrorist Mohammed Mohammed Hassan Barakat, known as the "Khan Yunis Legend" and reportedly a former Palestinian national team player. Hamas terrorist Mohammad Emad Ata Hussouna also participated in the October 7 attacks. Additionally, Hamas deputy commander and coach Mohammed Mansour, and PIJ platoon commander and coach Ali Mahmoud Al-Kurd were named. The IDF also identified FIFA referee Mohammed Sami Mohammed Khattab as a PIJ terrorist.

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The IDF emphasized that it would continue its efforts to "expose cases of this nature in order to present the full facts and refute claims that do not reflect reality."

The military statement listed several other individuals, including Hamas commanders and terrorists, and PIJ commanders and terrorists. The IDF emphasized its commitment to exposing such cases to present the full facts and refute claims that misrepresent reality. The military asserted that Palestinian terrorists eliminated by the IDF are sometimes presented as civilian professionals to falsely claim they were targeted due to their professions.

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In those campaigns, Palestinian terrorists struck 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 in order to promote false claims that they had been targeted because of their civilian professions.