Israel demands apology from Belgium over Gaza aid worker death

The Israeli Embassy in Belgium has demanded an apology from Belgian authorities following new allegations regarding an Enabel employee killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.

In April 2024, an Israeli strike in eastern Rafah killed Abdallah Jamal Sobhi Nabhan, a 33-year-old employee of the Belgian development agency Enabel, along with several family members. At the time, the Belgian government condemned the strike, and the Belgian Foreign Minister summoned the Israeli ambassador to demand explanations.

However, recent findings by researcher Gabriel Epstein and material from channels linked to the Hamas Khan Younis Brigade suggest Nabhan may have been a Hamas combatant. The new evidence includes photos depicting Nabhan in uniform and describing him as a ‘mujahid’.

The Israeli Embassy stated on social media that Belgium should examine the facts before condemning Israel, expressing a preference for a public apology, though noting they would accept a private one. While Israel claims it previously provided Belgian authorities with names of Hamas operators employed by the agency, the link between Nabhan and Hamas has not been independently verified.