Israel‘s military announced on Thursday that it had killed Mohammad Abu Itiwi, a Hamas commander involved in the Oct 7, 2023, terrorist attack on southern Israel.
As per the news agency Reuters, Itiwi was also employed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip.
UNRWA confirmed Itiwi’s employment and his death, acknowledging that his name was included in a letter Israel had sent in July, which listed 100 staff members allegedly tied to armed groups, including Hamas.
The Israeli military said Itiwi was killed on Wednesday and had participated in the murder and abduction of Israeli civilians.
It also stated that Itiwi had been employed by UNRWA since July 2022, and his name was on a list of the agency’s employees suspected of being linked to armed groups.
UNRWA’s director of communications, Juliette Touma, said the agency took the allegations seriously and requested further information from Israel, but it had not yet received a response.
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Israel had asked for urgent clarifications and an investigation into UNRWA employees’ involvement in the Oct 7 massacre.
“Israel has requested urgent clarifications from senior UN officials and an urgent investigation into the involvement of UNRWA employees in the Oct 7 massacre,” said Hagari.
UNRWA, which provides aid to Palestinians, has faced accusations from Israel of employing staff who are members of Hamas and other armed groups.
In August, following an internal investigation, the UN said nine UNRWA employees were possibly involved in the attacks and subsequently dismissed them.
Relations between Israel and UNRWA have worsened, with Israel calling for the agency to be disbanded.
Who was Abu Itiwi?
Mohammad Abu Itiwi was a Hamas commander involved in the brutal Oct 7, 2023, terror attack on southern Israel. He was reportedly employed by UNRWA, the United Nations agency providing aid in Gaza, and was accused by Israel of participating in the murder and abduction of Israeli civilians.
Israel has provided UNRWA with a list of suspected Hamas-linked employees, and Itiwi’s name was included on that list.
His death has increased tensions between Israel and UNRWA, especially as the Israeli government continues to allege that the agency harbours members of armed groups.
