Raad Abu al-Qi'an, a Defense Ministry contractor killed Wednesday evening in Gaza, is the fifth civilian contractor since the war began killed in Gaza or Lebanon whose family has not received bereaved-family recognition, according to Army Radio reporters Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh.
Raad Abu al-Qi'an, a civilian contractor for the Defense Ministry, was killed Wednesday evening in Gaza. According to Army Radio reporters Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh, he is the fifth such contractor since the war began whose death was not recognized as that of an IDF fallen soldier, and whose family has not been granted bereaved-family status — despite being killed on enemy territory (Gaza or Lebanon) while working in support of IDF operations. The bulletin updates The Zioneer's earlier report (Wednesday 16:10 Jerusalem) which had identified Abu al-Qi'an as the fourth contractor in this category; the count now stands at five.
Earlier Wednesday, from 16:10 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported the IDF's announcement of a contractor killed in an operational accident in Gaza, followed by identification of the victim as Raad Abu al-Qi'an, a resident of Hura. Subsequent reports detailed a building collapse during demolition work in the Jabaliya area around 13:00. Over several bulletin versions, the IDF and Israeli media corroborated the identification and circumstances. By 22:28 Jerusalem, Army Radio's Asraf and Kadosh reported that Abu al-Qi'an's family would not receive fallen-soldier status, making him the fourth. The latest version now adds a fifth name to that list, with the report naming four predecessors: Liron Yitzhak, Kobi Avitan, David Libi (killed in Gaza), and Amer Hujirat (killed in Lebanon).
The Defense Ministry has not commented on the policy of denying fallen-soldier recognition to civilian contractors killed on enemy soil. The Zioneer has previously reported on other casualties in the war, including soldiers killed in southern Lebanon, but this specific classification policy remains unaddressed by officials.
It remains unclear whether the families of the five named contractors have any avenue of appeal, and whether the policy applies to all civilian contractors or only those employed by the Defense Ministry through subcontractors.
13 developments
- StrongIDF: Defense Ministry contractor killed in Gaza operational accident
- DevelopingIDF announces fifth soldier killed in southern Lebanon tank incident
- StrongIDF eliminates Oct. 7 infiltrator Akram Abu Mazi in southern Gaza strike
- StrongGazan sources identify PIJ operative killed in yesterday's IDF strike in Khan Younis
Source and signal
- Internal intake