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 7Fan displays a Palestine flag amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas at 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 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 Oct.
7, 2023 massacre, and others allegedly served in other terror 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 ...