Ismail reached the final of the men's -58 kg category at the Asian Qualification Tournament in Tai'an, China and claimed the Olympic licence. He also became the first Palestinian to qualify directly in an Olympic combat sport. 

He defeated opponents from the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia to achieve the historic feat. "Making history; the first Palestinian taekwondo player to ever qualify for the Olympic Games. I'm very proud and happy to say to have made it this far," Ismail wrote on his Instagram profile.

Ismail has won bronze medals at the Cadets and Youth World Championships in 2019 and 2022. He has been in the senior category since 2022 and competed at the World Championships in 2022 and 2023. He started the year well, winning the Arab Cup in Fujairah and taking bronze at the Turkish Open.