Gaza [Palestine], October 1: The Times of Israel reported on September 30 that the United Nations Palestinian Refugee Agency ( UNRWA ) confirmed that Mr. Fateh Sherif was an employee, adding that he was being investigated for political activities. Mr. Fateh Sherif was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the same day, September 30.
"Mr. Fateh Sherif is a UNRWA staff member who has been on unpaid leave since March and is under investigation following allegations received by UNRWA regarding his political activities," UNRWA said in a statement. In March, Reuters reported that UNRWA had suspended Sherif for three months, accusing him of violating the agency's framework for staff conduct. At the time, the suspension sparked protests and strikes by teachers in Lebanon.
According to Fox News, Mr. Sherif was suspended but not fired, so he is still an employee of UNRWA.
Mr. Sherif is the principal of the UNRWA-run Deir Yassin High School in the al-Bass refugee camp (Tyre, Lebanon) and the head of the UNRWA teachers' union, which has about 2,000 teachers.
The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF ) said that Mr. Sherif was behind the coordination of Hamas activities in Lebanon and of Hezbollah spies , adding that he was also responsible for recruiting spies and purchasing weapons for Hamas.
Israel has repeatedly accused UNRWA of having staff supporting terrorism, a claim UNRWA denies.
Fateh Sherif, his wife and two children were killed in an Israeli airstrike on al-Bass on September 30. The same day, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) said three of its commanders were killed in an Israeli attack on the Lebanese capital Beirut. The PFLP is one of the armed movements involved in the war against Israel.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper