The Israeli army and the General Security Service, Shin Bet, announced on Wednesday 23 September 2026 that Mohammed Abu Alwan had been killed in a strike targeting him in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. They described him as head of Hamas’s finance department and responsible for managing its financial resources.
Israeli statement outlines Abu Alwan’s financial role
A joint statement issued by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the operation was carried out precisely and targeted Abu Alwan in his capacity as the official responsible for managing the movement’s financial resources. The announcement of his death and his position within Hamas are based on the account given by the Israeli army, Shin Bet and Israeli officials.
Netanyahu and Katz said strikes targeting the movement’s leaders and funding sources formed part of a broader strategy aimed, according to the statement, at preventing Hamas from rebuilding its capabilities. The statement also confirmed that the Israeli forces would continue targeting infrastructure and field commanders in the Gaza Strip until the stated war aims were achieved.
Hamas has not commented on the announcement of his death
By the time this report was prepared, Hamas or Palestinian factions in Gaza had issued no official comment confirming or denying the announcement of Abu Alwan’s death. Those parties also provided no clarification about the nature of the site targeted by the strike in Khan Younis. The announcement comes as Israeli air and artillery operations continue across several areas of the Gaza Strip.
These operations have caused extensive human and material losses, alongside severe shortages of essential supplies inside the Strip. International calls for a ceasefire and the lifting of restrictions on the Gaza Strip are continuing at the same time, amid ongoing fighting and strikes in different areas.
The Israeli statement places the targeting of financial officials, field commanders and infrastructure within the military campaign that Israel says is aimed at undermining Hamas’s ability to reorganise its resources and rebuild its capabilities.
