Palestinian aid worker Mohammed al-Wahidi has been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, sparking outrage and grief among residents of the Gaza Strip, where he was known as one of the most committed figures in helping displaced families. An Israeli missile reportedly hit the taxi in which al-Wahidi was travelling in the Sabra neighborhood. Three other people, including two brothers aged 8 and 10, and another man who was nearby, were also killed in the attack.
The Israeli military said the target of the attack was a Hamas operative and added that it was verifying reports of civilian casualties.
65-year-old Mohammed al-Wahidi had been an English professor before the outbreak of the war, and during the conflict he became one of the leaders of the Egyptian Relief Committee in Gaza, an Egyptian-backed organization that coordinates the distribution of humanitarian aid in the territory.
For more than two and a half years he worked in the field, organizing food distribution, setting up camps for displaced families and providing aid to war-affected communities. Volunteers and residents of Gaza remember him as someone who was always there for people in need, preferring to work in the field rather than in an office.
In recent weeks, al-Wahidi had also organized public broadcasts of World Cup matches in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, and the al-Mawasi area, with the aim of giving children and families a moment of hope amid the devastation of war. Ironically, he was killed just before the Argentina-Egypt match was to kick off.
Following news of his death, social media was flooded with photos, videos and messages of condolence from people who had benefited from his humanitarian work. Activist Mohamed Hmeid described al-Wahidi as “a window of hope for the displaced and those who had lost everything.”
His death comes as humanitarian workers in Gaza continue to face grave risks. According to the United Nations, at least 593 aid workers have been killed since the start of the war as of the end of April. The war in Gaza began after Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. According to health authorities in Gaza, the death toll from Israeli military operations has exceeded 73, while the conflict continues to cause a severe humanitarian crisis in the territory.
