Israeli media erupts in anger over Hussam Hassan's celebration of the Palestinian flag - Sarmad
The raising of the Palestinian flag by Egypt national team coach Hossam Hassan and his dedication of the victory to the Palestinian people sparked a wave of anger in Israeli media circles, which viewed this move as a direct political challenge that transcends the boundaries of sport.
Israeli Channel 12 reported that Egypt’s coach made history by leading his country to its first-ever Round of 16 appearance in the World Cup after winning the first knockout match, but he exploited the platform to raise the Palestinian flag and dedicate the victory to the residents of the Gaza Strip, wishing them success.
The Hebrew-language channel added that Hassan, Egypt’s all-time top scorer, raised the flag of a “entity” not participating in the tournament, in violation of FIFA regulations, which provoked the ire and anger of Israelis, especially given that Egypt maintains a peace treaty with Israel. The report was accompanied by scenes of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza emerging from their tents and destroyed homes to watch the match and express their joy at the Egyptian team’s victory.
In a similar vein, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the most widely circulated Hebrew-language newspaper, stated that Egypt coach Hossam Hassan chose to exploit the global platform to show solidarity with Palestinians following the historic qualification for the World Cup Round of 16, raising the Palestinian flag and dedicating the achievement to the Palestinian people.
The newspaper noted that Egyptian celebrations spread across the Gaza Strip, where residents gathered to watch the match amid destroyed buildings and tents, with children waving Egyptian flags. It quoted a Gaza resident saying he was watching the World Cup for the first time with such enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, the Israeli news website Walla commented on the scene of the Palestinian flag being raised, stating: “Egypt national team coach celebrated with the Palestinian flag and said: ‘May God have mercy on their martyrs.’”
The Hebrew website also relayed a tweet from a settler who wrote: “Anyone who does not stand with Argentina in their upcoming match against Egypt is an enemy of Israel and an enemy of football.”
In its report titled “World Cup 2026: Egypt Dedicates Historic Victory to the Palestinian People,” Israeli channel i24NEWS stated that at the final whistle, coach Hossam Hassan dedicated the victory “to the Egyptian people and the Palestinian people,” adding, “We ask God to grant them victory and have mercy on their martyrs.” He was then seen on the pitch holding both the Egyptian and Palestinian flags, while players celebrated their qualification.
It is worth noting that on social media, Palestinians praised this victory. Images broadcast from Gaza showed massive crowds gathering to watch the match, with many holding Egyptian flags.
This Israeli media escalation comes amid heightened sensitivity to any display of Palestinian symbols at international forums. Israel typically seeks to isolate the Palestinian issue politically and in the media. However, the Egyptian team’s sporting brilliance, and the coach’s transformation of the World Cup platform into a statement of solidarity with Gaza, broke this media siege and ignited anger among Israeli circles, which viewed the act as a quintessential political message that transcends the boundaries of the stadium and brings the Palestinian issue back to the forefront of global attention, despite continuous attempts to erase it.
Egypt will face Argentina in the Round of 16, who narrowly defeated Cape Verde on Tuesday.
