On Saturday, the nonprofit organization "Global Communities" announced that a contractor working for the U.S. Agency for International Development was killed along with his wife and two daughters in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza in November. The organization, which collaborates with governments and private sector entities in humanitarian work, stated, "We mourn the tragic loss of our colleague Hani Jinena (33) and his family in Gaza, including his wife Abir (32) and their two young daughters, Maryam and Zeina, aged four and two, respectively."
The statement continued, "Based on the information currently available to us, the family was killed during an Israeli airstrike in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza, targeting the home of Hani's in-laws." The organization indicated that the family had recently sought refuge in this location after fleeing airstrikes in the Sheikh neighborhood of Gaza, adding that his in-laws were also killed.
The organization published the last message sent by Jinena on October 10, in which he wrote, "My daughters are terrified, and I'm trying to keep them calm, but this bombing is terrifying." It added that Jinena was part of its IT team in Gaza and was known for "his kindness and commitment to providing essential IT services under challenging conditions."
The Washington Post reported on Saturday that Jinena's death has sparked calls within the agency for President Joe Biden’s administration to hold Israel accountable for his death. A spokesperson for the agency told Reuters that its personnel "are saddened by the deaths of innocent civilians and many humanitarian workers who have been killed in this conflict, including brave individuals like Hani Jinena."
The spokesperson added that the United States conveys its concerns to Israel in "every conversation" regarding the need for humanitarian workers to distribute aid safely and enable civilians to access it. In a statement to the Washington Post, the Israeli army did not confirm or deny responsibility for Jinena's death but stated that it always follows international law and takes "all possible precautions to mitigate harm to civilians."
