The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have claimed responsibility for an airstrike that killed Abdul Fattah Al-Zeriei, the deputy minister for economy in Gaza, along with his mother.
In a statement released Monday, the IDF alleged that Al-Zeriei was an “operative in the Manufacturing Department of Hamas’ Military Wing” and was responsible for distributing fuel, gas, and funds for what they termed “hostile purposes”.
The Gaza Media Office had previously reported Al-Zeriei’s death following an airstrike on a house in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, on Sunday.
مكتب العمل الحكومي في غزة: ننعى الشهيد المهندس عبد الفتاح الزريعي وكيل وزارة الاقتصاد الوطني في قطاع غزة الذي ارتقى إلى العلا بعد استهدافه من طائرات الاحتلال بشكل مباشر، حيث استشهد هو ووالدته الكريمة وفي هذا المقام فإننا نزف قائداً حُكومياً، حيث عمل عملاً متواصلاً، وله مسيرة… pic.twitter.com/fMdDFNGM8m
— فلسطين بوست (@PalpostN) August 4, 2024
Last week, both Iran and Hamas accused Israel of assassinating Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’ political bureau, in Tehran. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied these allegations, though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted at Israel’s involvement.
The ongoing military operation has drawn international condemnation, with Israel facing accusations of flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire.
According to local health authorities, nearly 39,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed, and about 91,400 injured since the start of the conflict.
The war has left vast areas of Gaza in ruins, with a crippling blockade affecting access to food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel is currently facing accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered an immediate halt to military operations in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge before it was invaded on 6 May.
