IDF says Palestinian soccer players it targeted served Hamas and Jihad terror groups

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan, a staunch Palestine supporter, spotted an Israeli flag in the stands on Tuesday and was not happy about it. (This video contains AI-assisted content.)

EXCLUSIVE: The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has told Fox News Digital that soccer players representing the Palestinian Authority it targeted with military strikes were allegedly also working as terrorists for Hamas and Jihadist groups.

"In recent weeks, false claims have been circulated alleging that the IDF deliberately targeted innocent Palestinian soccer players throughout the war," the IDF said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"In light of these claims, the IDF is now revealing the identities of Palestinian soccer players, referees, and coaches who were presented as athletes and innocent 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 TAKEN OUT HAMAS COMMANDER WHO PARTICIPATED IN OCT 7

A fan displays a Palestinian flag amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas at an Israel-France soccer match on Nov. 14, 2024. (REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes)

"Following an intelligence assessment, the IDF can now disclose these terrorists’ organizational affiliations and operational roles. 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, Tariq Ziad