The raising of the Palestinian flag by the Egyptian national team coach, Hossam Hassan, and his dedication of the victory to the Palestinian people, sparked a wave of anger in Israeli media circles, who saw this move as a direct political challenge that goes beyond the limits of sports.
Israeli Channel 12 said that the Egyptian national team coach made history by qualifying his country for the first time to the round of 16 of the World Cup after winning the first knockout match, but he used the platform to raise the Palestinian flag and dedicate the victory to the residents of the Gaza Strip, wishing them victory.
The Hebrew channel added that Hassan, the all-time top scorer for the Egyptian national team, raised the flag of an entity not participating in the tournament, in violation of FIFA regulations. This angered the Israelis, especially since Egypt has a peace treaty with Israel, amid scenes of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza who came out of their tents and destroyed homes to follow the match and express their joy at the Egyptian team's victory.
The Hebrew channel pointed out that the Egyptian national team achieved its first victory in the history of its participation in the World Cup after draws with Belgium and Iran and a win over New Zealand, and now it will clash in the next round with the Argentinian national team, the world champion, led by Lionel Messi, in a very difficult challenge, while one of the residents of Gaza described the scene as a moment of life amidst the destruction, where faces were filled with smiles and the air with cheers.
In the same vein, the Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot, one of the most widely circulated Hebrew-language newspapers, reported that Egyptian national team coach Hossam Hassan chose to use the global platform to express solidarity with the Palestinians after the team's historic qualification for the World Cup round of 16. He raised the Palestinian flag and dedicated the achievement to the Palestinian people.
The Hebrew newspaper added that Hassan said at the end of the match, which ended with Egypt defeating Australia 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw in both regulation and extra time, that his heart and soul were with the Palestinians and that he dedicated this victory to both the Egyptian and Palestinian peoples, describing them as kind and generous. The newspaper noted that his words resonated widely in the Arab world and spread rapidly on social media platforms.
She noted that Egyptian celebrations spread to the Gaza Strip, where residents flocked to watch the match amid destroyed buildings, tents, and children raising Egyptian flags, while quoting a Gaza resident as saying that he was following the World Cup for the first time with such enthusiasm.
The Hebrew newspaper also reported that star Mohamed Salah spoke about the atmosphere within the national team, emphasizing his maturity, leadership of the players, and his attempt to create a comfortable environment for them.
The newspaper also mentioned an incident in which a Dallas police officer pushed the head of the delegation, Ibrahim Hassan, and player Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet while they were trying to take a picture with a fan, stressing that this did not affect the preparations of the team, which will now face Argentina, the world champion, in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, the Israeli news site "Walla" commented on the scene of raising the Palestinian flag, saying: "The coach of the Egyptian national team celebrated with the Palestinian flag and said: 'May God have mercy on their martyrs.'"
The Hebrew website quoted a settler's tweet in which he said: "Anyone who does not stand with Argentina in its upcoming match against Egypt is an enemy of Israel and an enemy of football."
Meanwhile, the Israeli channel i24NEWS commented in a report entitled "World Cup 2026: Egypt dedicates its historic victory to the Palestinian people," saying that at the final whistle, coach Hossam Hassan dedicated this victory "to the Egyptian and Palestinian people," adding: "We ask God to grant them victory and have mercy on their martyrs." He then appeared on the field carrying the Egyptian and Palestinian flags, while the players prostrated in celebration of their qualification.
It is worth noting that on social media, Palestinians celebrated this victory. Images broadcast from Gaza showed huge crowds watching the match, many of them carrying Egyptian flags.
This Israeli media escalation comes amid extreme sensitivity towards any appearance of Palestinian symbols in international forums, as Israel usually seeks to isolate the issue both in Palestine and in the media. However, the Egyptian sporting brilliance and the coach’s use of the World Cup platform to express solidarity with Gaza broke this media siege and ignited the anger of Israeli circles, who saw this act as a political message par excellence that goes beyond the limits of the stadium and brings the Palestinian issue back to the forefront of global attention despite the ongoing attempts to obscure it.
Egypt will face Argentina in the round of 16, who narrowly defeated Cape Verde, the African team, next Tuesday.
