Israeli airstrike kills Palestinian aid worker involved in Gaza humanitarian efforts, family says
A Palestinian aid worker who helped coordinate humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza was killed in an Israeli airstrike, according to his family and colleagues.
Mohammed al-Waheidi, 65, was a member of the Egyptian Committee in Gaza, a relief organization that helps deliver aid and assists with resolving disputes among families. The group had also recently been organizing World Cup viewing events across the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military said the strike, which occurred Tuesday in northern Gaza, targeted a Hamas militant. Officials said they were aware of reports that civilians may have been harmed and expressed regret over any unintended injuries or deaths.
Israeli forces have continued carrying out airstrikes in Gaza despite a U.S.-backed cease-fire agreement reached with Hamas in October. Israeli officials have said the operations are focused on Hamas members involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the war.
Israeli officials said the attack killed about 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in roughly 250 hostages being taken into Gaza. Gaza health officials report that more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed during the conflict.
Al-Waheidi was traveling by car to a friend’s home to watch the Argentina-Egypt World Cup match when the strike hit, according to his son, Fawaz. It was not immediately known how close he was to the location of the alleged Hamas target.
Fawaz said he learned that an airstrike had killed someone with his family name and tried repeatedly to contact his father. A stranger answered the phone and said only that someone had been injured. He later went to a hospital, where he identified his father’s body.
“He was such a good man,” Fawaz said.
The younger al-Waheidi described his father as a supporter of peace with Israelis. He previously worked in Israel and served as a teacher for the Palestinian Authority. He also said his father had been detained and abused by Hamas before the Oct. 7 attack because of his opposition to the group.
A spokesperson for the Egyptian Committee said al-Waheidi managed the organization’s relationships with local leaders and helped coordinate the safe delivery of humanitarian aid throughout Gaza, where the war has displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
Fawaz said he does not want his father’s death used to fuel further violence, saying his family hopes for peace.
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