Published On 4/7/2026
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Last update: 15:35 (Mecca time)
The position of Egyptian national team coach Hossam Hassan following his country’s historic qualification to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup was at the forefront of interactions and press headlines in Israel this morning.
Hassan’s raising of the Palestinian flag and dedicating the victory to the Palestinian people sparked a wave of provocation and interest among Israelis, ranging from harsh criticism to calls for sports incitement against the Egyptian team.
Anger and incitement
The X platform witnessed remarkable Israeli interaction with the event, as it topped tweets expressing shock and dissatisfaction with the World Cup scene.
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An account bearing the name “Shamoon” expressed his anger and sarcasm, questioning the feasibility of the peace agreement with Egypt, and denouncing the Egyptian coach’s waving of the Palestinian flag at the moment of qualifying for the World Cup final, amid questions about the role of the organizers.
In an attempt to incite the masses, calls for sports incitement appeared, as one account considered that whoever does not support Argentina in its next match against Egypt hates Israel and hates football.
For his part, Israeli journalist Roi Kayes was quick to report the event, noting that the Egyptian national team coach dedicated the victory over Australia to the Palestinian people after the historic qualification.
The interactions were not without wishes for loss, as Erez Michaeli shared a photo of a plate of food and commented on it that he was celebrating the Australia vs. Egypt match with a classic Middle Eastern dish.
Posts of resentment
The matter was not limited to the pioneers of social networking sites, but also extended to occupy the major Israeli media outlets, which devoted space to covering the event and the Egyptian coach’s statements.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper headlined its coverage by highlighting the Egyptian coach’s celebration of qualifying with the Palestinian flag and his prayer for mercy for the martyrs, noting that Hassan took advantage of the World Cup platform to express his solidarity, noting the spread of video clips showing the people of the Gaza Strip gathering to watch the match together.
In turn, the coverage of the Israeli Walla website focused on the same statements, conveying Hassan’s saying that his heart and soul are with the Palestinians, and adding another aspect of the atmosphere of the Egyptian team by conveying a sarcastic statement by the star Mohamed Salah about the severity of his coach.
In the same context, other Israeli reports documented the Egyptian achievement and the details of the match that ended in a draw and then was decided on penalty kicks, adding that the coach concluded this achievement by raising the Palestinian flag and dedicating the victory to its people.
Historical delight
These Israeli responses came after statements made by Egyptian national team coach Hossam Hassan to beIN Sports on Friday, following the victory over Australia on penalties in the round of 32, and Egypt qualified for the first time in its history to the round of 16 of the World Cup.
Hassan said in his statements that he is dedicating the victory to another party besides the Egyptian people, directing his dedication to the Palestinian people who have never failed them in supporting them, and calling for mercy for their martyrs.
He warmly added that his heart and soul are with the Palestinian people, expressing his deep thanks for their overwhelming joy in Egypt’s qualification, wishing them victory and mercy for their rise, concluding his speech by dedicating this victory to the Egyptian people and to the good and generous Palestinian people.
With this result, the Pharaohs team set a date in the next round, next Tuesday, with the winner of the match between Argentina and Cape Verde, which will be held later at Miami Stadium.
Source: Israeli press + social media sites
