Twelve now-former employees of the main United Nations agency in Gaza have been accused of varying levels of participation in the Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel that ignited the war.
One allegedly participated in the kidnapping of a woman during the attack, another supposedly handed out ammunition, and a third was accused of participating in a massacre at a kibbutz where nearly 100 were killed, according to an Israel-created dossier provided to the U.S. government, the New York Times reported on Sunday.
The dossier lists the names and jobs of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East employees. Ten of the employees were described as members of Hamas, while another was allegedly affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another smaller terrorist group in the Gaza Strip.
Seven of the accused were teachers at UNRWA schools. Two worked at schools in nonteaching capacities.
A school counselor in southern Gaza allegedly abducted a woman from Israel with his son, while a social worker from central Gaza was accused of helping bring the body of a dead Israeli soldier to Gaza and of distributing ammunition and coordinating vehicles on Oct. 7, the day of the attack.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini announced last Friday that the 12 employees whom Israeli authorities provided information about their alleged involvement were terminated and an investigation will take place. UNRWA told the New York Times two of the 12 were dead.
The State Department temporarily paused additional funding for UNRWA while the United States reviews the allegations, spokesman Matthew Miller announced on Friday. Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, and the Netherlands have all done the same.
UNRWA has about 30,000 employees, while the Wall Street Journal reported that 10% of all of its Gaza staff have ties to Islamist militant groups.
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Despite the accusations against UNRWA, the organization has provided life-saving efforts to thousands of Palestinians in need for years. In the current conflict, more than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, though that number does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
An overwhelming majority of Gaza’s population has been displaced, and experts warn of the possibility of widespread disease and famine in the strip.
