UN Confirms Slain Hamas Leader in Lebanon Was UNRWA Employee

Following reports that Fatah al-Sharif, the slain Hamas leader in Lebanon, worked for UNRWA, a spokesperson for the United Nations confirmed to Voice of America that he was an employee of this UN agency but was on unpaid leave. The UN spokesperson stated on Monday, October 1, that Fatah al-Sharif was an employee of UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) who had been placed on administrative leave without pay since March after UNRWA received claims regarding his political activities. The spokesperson clarified that, contrary to some reports, Fatah al-Sharif had not resumed his work. Previously, the official Instagram account of the Israeli government had posted that Fatah al-Sharif, the Hamas leader in Lebanon, was 'a terrorist, a manager, and the head of the UNRWA teachers' association in Lebanon.' The post also criticized UNRWA for deciding to place him on administrative leave instead of firing him, despite being aware of his 'terrorist' status, and noted that he was killed during an 'Israeli airstrike in Lebanon.' The Israeli government warned that UNRWA is facing a 'serious terrorism problem.' Hamas had previously announced that Fatah Sharif Abu Amin, the leader of the group in Lebanon, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. According to the Times of Israel, this Iran-backed militant group also reported that several of his family members were killed in the attack. Hamas stated that 'Fatah Sharif Abu Amin, the leader of Hamas in Lebanon and a member of the leadership of this movement abroad,' along with his wife, son, and daughter, were killed in an attack that targeted their home in the Palestinian refugee camp 'Al-Bass' in southern Tyre in the early hours of Monday. According to Reuters, the frequent increase in Israeli attacks against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and Houthis in Yemen has raised concerns about the escalation of conflicts in the Middle East and the involvement of Iran and the United States, Israel's main ally, in these conflicts. The United States has emphasized a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Lebanon but has also bolstered its military presence in the region. President Joe Biden, in response to a question about whether a full-scale war in the Middle East could be avoided, said, 'It must be so.' He stated that he would talk with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The first Israeli attack on central Beirut targeted a unit of a building. To prevent the spread of war in the Middle East, Biden says he will talk with the Israeli Prime Minister. Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel still has tough days ahead. The attack on Iranian-backed Houthi positions in Hudaydah continues. Israeli attacks in Gaza continue; 11 people were killed.