Israel had previously alleged that workers at the relief agency’s Palestinian branch had taken part in the Hamas incursion
A UN investigation has revealed that nine employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) are suspected of potentially having been involved in the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
The probe into activities at the agency, which employs around 13,000 people in Gaza, was initiated in January following accusations from Israel that UNRWA workers had participated in the massacre that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of around 250 more. Despite claiming that some UNRWA staffers had participated “in the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust,” according to IDF spokesman Nadav Shoshani, West Jerusalem has reportedly not provided any evidence to substantiate their involvement.
According to a statement released by UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on Monday, investigators from the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) examined a total of 19 employees who had been accused of participating in the attack. In ten of the cases, no evidence was found to support Israel’s accusations. However, suspicions emerged regarding nine workers.
“The evidence, if authenticated and corroborated, could indicate that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the armed attacks of 7 October 2023,” Lazzarini stated, noting that the individuals in question are no longer permitted to work for the agency and that their contracts have been terminated.
“UNRWA is committed to continue upholding the fundamental principles and values of the United Nations, including the humanitarian principle of neutrality, and to ensure that all its staff abide by the Agency’s policy on outside and political activities,” the commissioner-general affirmed, reiterating that UNRWA strongly condemns the October 7 attack “in the strongest possible terms.”
In April, another independent UN committee investigation into Israel’s accusations, led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, stated that it was unable to locate any proof of UNRWA staffers assisting Hamas in the attack, and demanded that the Jewish State provide more evidence to support its claims.
Despite the absence of evidence, a number of donor nations initially withdrew funding from UNRWA following Israel’s accusations. Of the 18 countries that suspended donations, the majority have since resumed their support. Those who have not include the US, UK and Germany.