APA-Johannesburg (South Africa) South Africa’s leading disaster response charity Gift of the Givers has lost a senior officer in the Israeli-Gaza war as he returned home from early prayers in the Gaza Strip.
In a Facebook post, the organisation said their office head in the Gaza Strip, Ahmed Abbasi, was reportedly killed by Israeli forces as he returned home alongside his unnamed brother on Thursday.
Appointed in 2013, Abbasi was responsible for implementing multiple projects for Palestinians in the enclave, the charity said.
“Abbasi also delivered water through our desalination plants, distributed food parcels, provided hot meals and upgraded damaged homes,” the organisation said.
Gift of the Givers described the father of three “as a kind, gentle and warm human being” who refused to move to a safe area because he wanted to stay close to his family and relatives.
In a premonition, he told the organisation “It’s better to sit with my family of 34 in our own apartment and wait for our turn to die in dignity, as unarmed martyrs — rather than run from place to place as directed by the Israel Defence Forces,” according to the Facebook post.
NM/jn/APA