Gunmen Shoot and Kill Aid Worker in Gaza, According to Charity and Family – Reuters

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

CAIRO – A Palestinian aid worker from a charity based in the United States was shot and killed by gunmen in the Gaza Strip, who targeted her car in what officials from the Hamas government claimed was a case of mistaken identity.

Islam Hejazy, the Gaza program manager for HEAL Palestine, was driving in the Khan Younis area of the region when her vehicle was ambushed on Thursday. According to locals and family members, gunmen in three cars unleashed a barrage of bullets at her vehicle.

Hejazy was described by HEAL Palestine as "the mother of two small children and a humanitarian with the highest ethics and professionalism." The organization expressed its commitment to serving Gaza in her honor and called for an immediate ceasefire.

On Friday, her family released a statement saying that hospital officials informed them that her death was unintentional. They claimed that her attackers had not properly identified the vehicle she was driving.

The Hamas-run interior ministry announced later that it had initiated an investigation into Hejazy’s death, labeling the occurrence as an "accident," but provided no further details.

The family expressed their shock in a statement shared by Palestinian media, questioning how such a tragedy could occur: "How would an innocent soul be wasted and 90 bullets fired at her car just for mistaken identification?"

The exact number of bullets fired could not be verified.

This tragic incident underscores the increasing chaos and insecurity in Gaza nearly a year into Israel’s military operations, during which Hamas officials suggest that the conflict has diminished the effectiveness of their security forces.

Palestinians have reported widespread theft, the emergence of gangs, and rampant price increases. The population of Gaza, numbering about 2.3 million, has largely been displaced due to the ongoing war, which has claimed the lives of approximately 41,500 individuals, according to local health authorities.

The conflict has escalated since October 7, when militants from Hamas invaded southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 people and the abduction of approximately 250 hostages, based on Israeli reports.