Hamas-linked Gaza influencer ‘Mr. FAFO’ killed in clashes with Palestinian clan

Gazan channels reported on Sunday evening that the Hamas-affiliated Gaza social media star Saleh al-Jafarawi, who appeared in many propaganda videos throughout the two-year war, has been killed in clashes between Hamas and the local Dughmush clan. 

According to the reports, he was killed by members of the Dughmush clan after Hamas attacked the clan as part of their efforts to reassert control over Gaza City.

Saleh’s brother confirmed in a social media post that he had been killed by a militia in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City. Members of the Dughmush clan claim that at least 25 of their family members have been killed in the clashes with Hamas. 

Saleh al-Jafarawi was a vocal pro-Hamas influencer who praised the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks in the days after the massacre, but quickly pivoted to making videos, many of them apparently staged, which purported to show evidence of Israeli attacks on civilians.

Mr FAFO himself, got him FAFO´ed.... pic.twitter.com/blnqSbe43c

— -LA FORCE INTERIEURE... 🇬🇹🏎🏁🏆DEUX! (@BulletLS2) October 13, 2025

He quickly gained the title “Mr. FAFO” by pro-Israel social media accounts, after a post juxtaposing a video of him celebrating the attacks was placed next to a video of him crying about the Israeli response. 

Al-Jafarawi uploaded videos of himself in many roles, sometimes reporting in a “Press” vest and helmet, while other times portraying himself as a hospital worker. He also uploaded videos of himself in hospitals after supposedly surviving Israeli strikes. 

Mr. FAFO pic.twitter.com/3J8YDDW1JB

— Lilleulv (@andre_lund) October 13, 2025

He also gained attention for reporting on the scenes of purported Israeli strikes in Gaza, often appearing with other Palestinian social media personalities within minutes of the strikes, and recording scenes of injured Palestinians. 

Through his social media channels, Al-Jafarawi managed to raise over $13 million in international donations during the war, largely due to the videos in which he both supported Hamas and claimed to show the suffering of the Palestinian people of Gaza.

However, he garnered outrage among many in Gaza after raising over $4 million in donations for the construction of a children’s hospital, only to refuse to answer questions about the funds when the hospital was not constructed. 

So I remember I had some collection about Saleh's AlJafarawi "donations" work,

Including and not limited to :
10,000,000$ for a Childrens Hospital in Gaza
315,000$ for his home
750,000$ and few more I had on my links

🧵1/2 https://t.co/eyRsIZYXm4 pic.twitter.com/cRYJuko4il

— Mo Ghaoui (@moghaoui) October 12, 2025

It is not clear what happened to the money raised by al-Jafarawi. 

A senior Hamas official told the Qatari Al-Jazeera channel that several Hamas members were killed in the clashes with a local armed militia in Gaza City when Hamas security forces tried to arrest militia members. 

Unconfirmed reports also said that the son of senior Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim was also killed in the clashes.