JFeed

IDF Exposes Campaign Portraying Terrorists as Civilian Footballers

The IDF has revealed what it describes as a false propaganda campaign that portrayed Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists as civilian footballers deliberately targeted by Israeli forces. The military published details of 12 individuals presented as football players, coaches, or referees who were actually operatives in terrorist organizations, including several who participated in the October 7 attack. Among them: Mohammad Mansour, portrayed as a player and coach, was deputy commander of Hamas's Nuseirat Battalion; Mohammad Barakat, a PIJ terrorist who infiltrated Israel on October 7; and Mohammad Khatab, a FIFA referee who was a PIJ operative. The IDF stated this is part of a broader pattern during the war where Palestinian terrorists were falsely presented as journalists, aid workers, and other professionals to support claims they were targeted for their civilian professions.