Hamas Terrorist in Oct. 7 Attack Worked for UNRWA, Israel Says

Mohammed Itiwi, a Hamas commander killed by the Israeli military on Oct. 23, 2024, in an image the IDF says was taken of him participating in the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. Courtesy of the IDF

The Israeli army has stated that a Hamas commander it killed this week, in conjunction with the air force and the Shin Bet counterterrorism agency, was on the U.N.’s payroll when he led part of the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel.

Mohammad Abu Itiwi was a commander in Hamas Nukhba, the terrorist group’s special forces unit, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, said on Oct. 24.

Itiwi, who was killed on Oct. 23, commanded the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on the bomb shelter at Kibbutz Re'im near the Gaza Frontier. Many from the nearby Nova music festival, who fled when the attack started, were taking shelter there.

“From this bomb shelter on the side of the road, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alon Ohel, Or Levi, and Eliya Cohen, were all taken hostage into Gaza, and many others were murdered,” Hagari said.

Those attending the Nova festival were the largest single group of people killed on Oct. 7, 2023. At least 364 were killed. About 1,200 people in all were murdered by an estimated 3,000 Hamas terrorists that day.

The U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) had employed Itiwi since July 2022, according to Hagari.

“We have the records to prove it,” he said.

UNRWA has been accused by Israel of having many employees who double as members of Hamas and other terrorist groups. The U.N. stated in August that nine UNRWA staff members had possibly been involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and fired them.

UNRWA confirmed on Oct. 24 that Itiwi worked for them. The agency stated that his name was on a list received from Israel in July of 100 staff members who were allegedly operating as members of terrorist groups, including Hamas.

The agency stated that it took no action against Itiwi because Israel did not respond to a request for further information.

“The UNRWA commissioner general responded to that letter immediately stating that any allegation is taken seriously,” said Juliette Touma, UNRWA’s director of communications. “He urged [the government of Israel] to cooperate with the agency by providing more information so he could take action. To date, UNRWA has not received any response to that letter.”

Hagari said Israel had requested urgent clarification from senior U.N. officials and an urgent investigation into the involvement of UNRWA employees in the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.

Israel has long accused UNRWA, established in 1949, of complicity with Hamas. The agency is unique among U.N. agencies in that it deals with only a single refugee group, Palestinians—most others are handled by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees office—and in that it employs Palestinians for nearly all its jobs. Unlike efforts for other refugee groups, it makes no effort to resettle Palestinians.

The name of Mohammad Abu Itiwi, a Hamas commander in the Oct. 7 massacre, appears on a UNRWA employees list, according to the Israeli army. Courtesy of the IDF

UNRWA schools in Gaza, Israel alleges, teach children to hate Jews and Israel, dimming prospects for peace in the future.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.