A Tunisian national, who was shot and killed last week, was identified as Mohammed Zawari; a man the Palestinian Hamas organization described as one of its drone experts. The assassination of the man, which occurred near the Tunisian city of Sfax, has brought about accusations against Israel, as Zawari had been a member of Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, for some 10 years and had been supervising the groups drone program.
“The commander pilot Mohammed Zawari from Tunisia is a member of Al-Qassam brigades and he participated in developing the military unit of Al-Qassam and their military program, specifically the drones called “Ababil” which were used in the latest war against Israel. He was assassinated in Tunisia by Israeli Mossad forces. Al-Qassam brigades will never forget its martyrs and members and the Israeli enemy ill pay for that crime sooner or later. We want to defend our nation, our land and sacred sites. We need help from all the Palestinian, Arab and Islamic minds who can support the resistance and the Palestinian nation,” said Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas Spokesman.
Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, did not offer any evidence to support its accusation, yet vowed to retaliate. Tunisia’s government revealed that initial evidence showed a foreign organization may be behind the assassination. It further noted that 10 Tunisians had been arrested, but two foreigners who were suspected of plotting the killing managed to escape. No details on their nationalities or which organization may be involved were provided.
“Foreign elements were the planners of this operation. When we say that this planning was done out of Tunisia and when we see information about the hypothetical belonging of the victim Mohamed Zoari to the Hamas movement, besides, wondering what could be these elements that are taking advantage, or what are the elements who have benefit from killing the departed… we are guided to – and this does not need so much intelligence – to the possibility, I insist the possibility, of implication of the foreign structure in the assassination. But, I want to insist that we don’t have yet any hard proof confirming this scenario,” said Medi Majdoub, Tunisian Interior Minister. Israeli officials refused to comment on the matter.