Israel Demands Belgian Apology After Aid Worker Exposed as Hamas Militant
Israel demands an apology from Belgium after OSINT evidence proved that Abdallah Nabhan, an Enabel aid agency employee killed in Gaza in 2024, was a Hamas militant in the Khan Younis Brigade.
The Israeli Embassy in Belgium has demanded an apology from the Belgian government after open-source intelligence revealed that a Palestinian employee of the Belgian development agency (Enabel), killed in an Israeli airstrike in April 2024, was an active member of Hamas.
Abdallah Jamal Subhi Nabhan, a Palestinian business development officer for Enabel, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Rafah on April 24, 2024, alongside his seven-year-old son Jamal, his father, his brother, and his niece. Following the strike, Enabel stated that Nabhan had joined the agency in April 2020, working on an EU-funded project supporting small businesses in the Gaza Strip.
At the time, Belgium's then-Development Minister Caroline Gennez and Enabel strongly condemned the strike. Then-Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib summoned Israel's then-Ambassador to Belgium, Idit Rosenzweig-Abu, demanding explanations. Enabel's CEO, Jean Van Wetter, also gave several international media interviews condemning the incident.
OSINT Investigation Reveals Hamas Ties
Following the diplomatic reprimand, the Israeli ambassador expressed regret over civilian casualties but clarified that the targeted building belonged to a senior Hamas commander, an extended family member who was the intended target. Israel later provided Belgian authorities with a list of Hamas operatives employed by the Belgian aid agency, but Enabel took no action.
On September 4, 2026, open-source intelligence (OSINT) researcher Gabriel Epstein published definitive evidence proving that Abdallah Nabhan was a member of Hamas's Khan Younis Brigade.
Epstein presented a mourning poster published by a channel affiliated with the brigade, which designated Nabhan as a "mujahid" (jihadist fighter) and featured a photograph of him in military uniform. The channel is known for publishing verified, exclusive details on Hamas operatives. Epstein also uncovered a 2025 social media post by a relative describing both Abdallah Nabhan and his brother Ahmed as "mujahideen."
Israel Demands Accountability
Following these revelations, the Israeli Embassy in Belgium posted a statement on its official X account:
"Before rushing to condemn Israel—facts matter. Those who accused Israel back then must now acknowledge the evidence."
Israel's Ambassador to Belgium, David Saranga, addressed the issue on his social media account:
"A public apology would be the proper thing to do, but a private apology will also be accepted."
The diplomatic demand has sparked intense debate within the Belgian political system. This comes amid a political shift in Belgium, where a center-right government recently replaced the previous center-left, liberal-progressive coalition.
