UNRWA staff linked to October 7 Hamas attack, UN reports
The United Nations announced that nine employees of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, might have been involved in the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7. The UN’s deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq, confirmed that all nine staff members would face termination following an investigation triggered by Israeli allegations.
The investigation was conducted in response to claims by Israel that UNRWA personnel participated in the attack, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the capture of 251 hostages, who were taken back to Gaza. Since the attack, subsequent Israeli military operations in Gaza have resulted in over 38,400 Palestinian fatalities, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry.
Haq did not detail the specific roles the implicated employees played in the assault but emphasized that any involvement would constitute a significant breach of UNRWA’s mission to support the Palestinian people.
“For us, any participation in the attacks is a tremendous betrayal of the sort of work that we are supposed to be doing on behalf of the Palestinian people,” he stated.
An Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson criticized the findings, asserting that UNRWA had reached “a new low.”
Initially, Israel alleged that 12 UNRWA staff members were involved in the attack and later expanded the accusation to include over 450 employees purportedly affiliated with terrorist groups.
However, a UN review published in April indicated that Israel had not provided substantial evidence to support these broader claims. The UN investigation examined 19 UNRWA employees, finding no evidence of involvement in one case and insufficient evidence in nine others.
UNRWA, which employs around 13,000 people in Gaza, reported in March that some employees had been coerced by Israeli authorities into making false statements while detained.
The allegations led to a significant withdrawal of funding for UNRWA by many countries. However, by July, the UK and several other nations had resumed financial support, leaving the US as the sole major donor yet to reinstate funding.
UNRWA has been providing aid to Palestinian refugees since its establishment in 1949.
Source: BBC
