Hamas said Monday that one of its senior leaders in Lebanon, Fateh Sharif Abu al Amin, was killed in an Israeli strike near the southern city of Tyre, along with his wife, son and daughter.
The group identified Abu al Amin as its top leader in Lebanon and a member of its international leadership. He had publicly praised the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack in southern Israel, which killed some 1,200 people.
Hamas said Abu al Amin also worked for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), where he served as chairman of its teachers’ union. UNRWA confirmed he was suspended from his teaching post in March for three months over what it called a violation of regulations. His suspension sparked protests outside the agency’s Beirut offices.
IDF strikes Tyre
Israel has repeatedly accused UNRWA of employing Hamas members and other terrorists in Gaza, some of whom it says took part in the Oct. 7 assault. The UN has acknowledged that at least nine of the agency’s staffers were likely involved in the attack.
Western parts of southern Lebanon, including the Tyre area, have served as a hub for Hamas activity. Israeli officials say Hamas operatives based there have carried out much of the rocket fire targeting the northern Israeli city of Nahariya and towns north of Haifa in recent months.