Israel says it has killed a suspect in the October 7 attack who worked for a US-based charity. By Reuters
By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Adam Makary and Menna AlaaElDin
CAIRO (Reuters) – The Israeli military said on Saturday it had killed a terrorist who took part in an October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas in Israel and was employed by the US-based charity World Central Kitchen in Gaza.
The man’s family, Ahed Azmi Qdeih, said the Israeli allegations were false and intended to justify his unlawful killing. They said that he is an engineer dedicated to the work of helping the community.
The military said it was involved in the attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel and was under surveillance but did not provide evidence. Reuters could not independently confirm whether he was involved in the attack last year.
World Central Kitchen confirmed the airstrike and said it had no knowledge of an employee involved in the attack on October 7, 2023.
“We are saddened to hear that the car carrying colleagues from World Central Kitchen was hit by an Israeli plane in Gaza,” said a statement posted on X. “World Central Kitchen did not know that there was anyone in the vehicle that was allegedly related to the October 7 Hamas attack.”
The humanitarian group said it was suspending operations in Gaza, adding that it was working with incomplete information and wanted more information immediately.
Hamas had no immediate comment.
The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that three employees of the agency were killed when an Israeli strike targeted a vehicle in Khan Younis, south of Gaza. Doctors say five people have died.
In a later incident in Khan Younis, health officials said at least nine Palestinians were killed when an Israeli strike hit a vehicle near a crowd receiving flour, a vehicle used by security guards who were responsible for the delivery of aid to Gaza.
The Israeli army says it does not target civilians and accuses Hamas of operating in civilian areas and using Gazans as human shields, which the group denies.
At least 32 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes last night through Saturday, Gaza health officials said, including 7 killed in a strike on a house in central Gaza City, according to Gaza officials.
NEW RECRUITMENT EFFORTS
Meanwhile, Hamas leaders were expected to arrive in Cairo on Saturday for talks with Egyptian officials, days after Israel and Hezbollah agreed to stop violence in Lebanon, two officials of the group told Reuters.
The trip is the first since the United States announced earlier this week that it will renew joint efforts with Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey to negotiate an end to the fighting in Gaza.
A delegation of Hamas is expected to meet with security officials in Egypt to consider ways to reach an agreement to end hostilities with Israel that would guarantee the release of hostages in exchange for the return of Palestinian prisoners.
Progress has previously been limited to a series of ongoing negotiations over the course of months.
Hamas wants a deal that will end the war while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the war will only end when Hamas is destroyed.
Israel’s military operation in Gaza has killed at least 44,382 people and displaced nearly all of the population at least once, Gaza officials said. The vast rivers of Gaza are a wasteland.
The conflict began 13 months ago when Hamas-led militias attacked communities in southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and abducting more than 250, according to Israeli officials.
