Israel Says Slain Gaza Football Officials Were Militants

The Israeli military accused 12 Palestinian football officials, including a FIFA-registered referee, that it killed during the war in Gaza of being members of militant groups.

A Palestinian Football Association official in Gaza rejected the military’s allegations.

The military said it was releasing the names to counter what it described as “false claims” that Israel had deliberately targeted members of Gaza’s football community.

“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,” the military said.

According to the military, several of those named held command positions within the armed groups, while others served as combat operatives.

Among those identified was Mohammed Sami Mohammed Khattab, who the military said was a FIFA international assistant referee.

“Mohammed Sami Mohammed Khattab was presented as an innocent soccer player, but in reality was a terrorist in Islamic Jihad’s Central Camps Brigade,” the military said.

It released three photographs of Khattab. One shows him wearing a football jersey bearing logos of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation, another him in a black shirt and a matching cap and in a third he is holding a gun.

The military also noted that football organisations, including the Asian Football Confederation, had issued tributes following his death.

At least two of the 12 identified men had participated in the October 7 attacks on Israel, the military said.

“Some of the information is based on open-source materials. All of the individuals listed have been identified by the IDF as terrorists affiliated with terrorist organisations,” a source quoted in the statement said.

The Palestinian Football Association rejected the allegations.

“Israel is trying to cover up its crimes of killing players, coaches, referees, and administrators in football clubs with false accusations,” an official said, requesting anonymity for security reasons.

“Most of the names mentioned in the statement were killed in Israeli bombings and raids in their homes or tents, some with their families.”

AFP was unable to independently verify the military’s accusations and Hamas and Islamic Jihad did not immediately comment.

Throughout the war, Palestinian football authorities have accused Israel of killing football players and damaging Gaza’s sporting infrastructure.

Israel has consistently maintained that it targets militants and military infrastructure while accusing Hamas and other armed groups of operating within civilian areas.