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

ByJERUSALEM POST STAFFJULY 22, 2026 19:53The IDF disputed "false claims" of targeting innocent Palestinian soccer players, referees, and coaches in Gaza, revealing their identities as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists following a military intelligence assessment."The IDF can now disclose these terrorists’ organizational affiliations and operational roles," the military said in a Wednesday statement."In many cases, they were portrayed internationally only as players, with no mention of their affiliation with terrorist organizations."A total of 12 terrorists were identified by the IDF, all of whom were involved in Gaza's professional soccer community. PIJ terrorist Mohammed Mohammed Hassan Barakat, also a soccer player, infiltrated Israel during the October 7 massacre.Barakat, also known as the "Khan Yunis Legend," was one of the best soccer players in Gaza prior to October 7, reportedly having played for the Palestinian national team, The Jerusalem Post learned.Terrorists from Palestinian Islamic Jihad's al-Quds Brigades stand guard on the street during an Eid al-Adha celebration in Gaza City, May 27, 2026; illustrative. (credit: REUTERS/DAWOUD ABU ALKAS)Another player, Mohammad Emad Ata Hussouna, also participated in the October 7 attacks as a Hamas terrorist, as well as soccer coach and Hamas deputy commander Mohammed Mansour.A second coach, Ali Mahmoud Ahmed Al-Kurd, was also a platoon commander for PIJ in Rafah. Before the 2023 terrorist attacks, Al-Kurd earned his coaching certificate from the Asian Football Confederation, the Post learned.FIFA referee named as Gaza terroristInternational FIFA referee Mohammed Sami Mohammed Khattab was also named by the IDF as a PIJ terrorist.Additional players named in the IDF statement included Hamas commanders Mahmoud Kamal Mohammad Ali Al-Rifi, Mohammed Ziad Hussein Al-Hour, and Mohammad Nidal Mohammed Al-Hawajri, Hamas terrorist Tariq Ziad Hussein Al-Hour, PIJ commander Ahmed Mohammed Hassan Abu Al-Atta, and PIJ terrorists Abdullah Riyadh Abdullah Khattab and Mahmoud Osama Al-Jazzar.The military described efforts to portray the terrorists as innocent civilians as "part of a broader effort promoted by various actors against the State of Israel," accompanied by "other false narratives advanced throughout the war."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," the military added.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."Follow us on Google