The Israel Defense Forces revealed a list of Gaza footballers who served as operatives for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Among them: a FIFA international assistant referee, a captain of Shabab Khan Younis who participated in the Oct. 7 massacre, and a coach who was a platoon commander in Rafah. The IDF says the international campaign accusing Israel of targeting athletes was fueled by the elimination of these operatives.
The Israel Defense Forces published Wednesday evening a comprehensive list of 12 Gaza footballers who served as operatives for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), including a FIFA international assistant referee, a club captain who participated in the October 7, 2023 massacre, and several platoon commanders. The disclosure follows earlier statements by the IDF that the individuals were not civilians but actively involved in terrorism.
The Zioneer first reported at 18:29 Jerusalem that the IDF had released a list of operatives. Subsequent updates throughout the evening provided the full names and roles, including Muhammad Khattab (FIFA international assistant referee, PIJ operative in the Central Camps Brigade), Muhammad Barakat (captain of Shabab Khan Younis, participated in the Oct. 7 massacre), Ahmed Abu al-Ata (defender, PIJ platoon commander), and Ali al-Kurd (coach, PIJ platoon commander in Rafah). The military's release came after an international campaign accused Israel of deliberately targeting athletes.
As The Zioneer has reported, the IDF and Shin Bet have been systematically eliminating PIJ and Hamas commanders involved in the October 7 massacre and hostage-taking, with multiple precision strikes in recent weeks. The disclosure of the footballers' militant roles is part of a broader effort to counter false claims that the military targets civilians.
The full list of 12 names has been published, but specific details on the operational roles of all individuals are still being analyzed. The international campaign's response to the IDF's evidence is not yet known.
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