The university lecturer killed in Kuala Lumpur this morning has been confirmed by Palestinian militant and political group Hamas to be one of its members, with his family alleging that Israeli secret service Mossad was behind his death. 

35-year-old Palestinian Fadi Al Batsh was shot dead at about 6am today as he was walking from his condominium to a nearby surau in Jalan Meranti, Setapak, for the dawn prayers.

Reuters reported that Hamas, which exercises de facto control over Gaza, said one of its members was “assassinated” in Malaysia.

However, Reuters noted that Hamas stopped short of accusing Israel’s secret service of carrying out the killing.

It quoted a Hamas statement as saying that Batsh was "assassinated at treacherous hands".

Reuters also interviewed Batsh’s uncle Jamal al-Batsh, who said he believed the killing was the work of Israel’s Mossad espionage agency.

When asked who he blamed, Jamal was reported as saying: “The Israeli Mossad. The Israeli Mossad stood behind the assassination of educated people and intellectuals because Israel knows Palestine will be liberated by scientists.”

“Therefore, they tracked this young educated man.”

Officials in Israel declined to respond to Reuters.

Bernama had earlier quoted caretaker deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as saying that the two assailants involved in Batsh's murder were believed to be Caucasians linked to an intelligence organisation of a country.

Zahid, who is also the caretaker home minister, reportedly said that the police would work with Interpol and Aseanapol to track down the duo immediately.

“The police will conduct their investigation by covering all angles. We will investigate the case until the arrest of the perpetrators of the crime.

“We will provide information on the developments in the case from time to time,” he said to reporters after opening a new building of GiatMara in Hutan Melintang, Bagan Datuk.

According to Bernama, Zahid said a preliminary investigation showed that the lecturer was to have left for Turkey this afternoon to attend an international conference.

He said the lecturer, who was an electrical engineer and an expert at making rockets, had had links with an intelligence organisation of a country and had been active in Islamic NGOs that championed the Palestinian cause.

“The lecturer, a permanent resident of that country, is believed to have become a liability for a country hostile to Palestine,” he said.

Reuters reported that Batsh had been a lecturer at Universiti Kuala Lumpur, specialising in power engineering, according to the university.