Islamic Jihad has acknowledged that a Gaza-based physical therapist working for Doctors Without Borders was also a senior commander in the terror group, confirming long-standing Israeli claims that armed groups are embedded within humanitarian organizations operating in the enclave.

In a statement, Saraya al-Quds, the terror group’s military wing, identified Fadi al-Wadiya as a “martyr commander” and said he served as deputy head of its military manufacturing unit when he was killed in an Israeli strike on June 25, 2024.

The admission aligns with earlier assessments by the IDF, which said last year that al-Wadiya played a key role in developing missiles for the Iranian-backed organization and possessed advanced expertise in electronics and chemistry.

“Al-Wadiya advanced the terror organization’s rocket array, endangering the lives of civilians,” the IDF said at the time, describing the case as “another example of terrorists in Gaza exploiting the civilian population.”

Following the strike, Doctors Without Borders — also known as Médecins Sans Frontières — said al-Wadiya had been targeted while traveling to provide medical assistance to wounded civilians.

“This attack is yet another brutal example of the senseless killing of Palestinian civilians and healthcare workers in Gaza,” the organization said in a statement.

The NGO has not said a word regarding Islamic Jihad’s confirmation of al-Wadiya’s terrorist role.

In January, the Israel Foreign Ministry released evidence showing that several Doctors Without Borders employees were also members of terrorist organizations. Among them was Nasser Hamdi Abdelatif al-Shalfouh, whom Israeli officials said worked for the NGO while simultaneously serving as a sniper for Hamas.

The disclosures came as Israel began enforcing new regulations on international NGOs in Gaza, suspending the licenses of groups that “failed to meet required security and transparency standards,” including Doctors Without Borders.

Jerusalem later ordered MSF to halt operations in Gaza by Feb. 28. In response, the organization said it would, “as an exceptional measure,” provide Israeli authorities with a list of local and international staff members.

The move, MSF said in a January statement, was taken “solely with the aim of being able to continue providing critical medical care.”

Last month, Doctors Without Borders suspended “non-critical” services at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, citing threats to its neutrality after armed terror operatives were seen operating inside the compound.

After Israeli forces withdrew to a truce-established buffer zone in October, Hamas fighters moved to reassert control in the surrounding area, according to Israeli officials.

Since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect, the organization has documented “a pattern of unacceptable acts,” including intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and suspected weapons movements within medical facilities being carried out by terrorist forces.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)