A dozen staffers who worked for the United Nations relief agency focused on Palestinians allegedly participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel.
United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini announced on Friday the employees to whom Israeli authorities provided information about their alleged involvement were terminated, and an investigation will take place.
“To protect the Agency’s ability to deliver humanitarian assistance, I have taken the decision to immediately terminate the contracts of these staff members and launch an investigation in order to establish the truth without delay,’ Lazzarini said. “Any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution.”
The announcement of the investigation comes more than three months after the worst terrorist attack in Israel’s history, in which roughly 1,200 people were murdered.
There are limited details about what the 12 former UNRWA employees are accused of doing during the attack. In late November, an Israeli journalist alleged that a UNRWA teacher held one of the roughly 250 hostages in their attic. It’s unknown if the allegations that prompted the firings and ensuing investigation, as announced on Friday, involve the teacher allegation.
The State Department temporarily paused additional funding for UNRWA while the U.S. reviews the allegations, spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement, announcing that 12 UNRWA employees were allegedly implicated.
“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on January 25 to emphasize the necessity of a thorough and swift investigation of this matter,” he said. “We welcome the decision to conduct such an investigation and Secretary General Guterres’ pledge to take decisive action to respond, should the allegations prove accurate. We also welcome the UN’s announcement of a ‘comprehensive and independent’ review of UNRWA.”
UNRWA has played an integral role in aiding thousands of Palestinian civilians before and during the current conflict despite the ongoing concerns about potential ties to Hamas.
European Union high representative Josep Borrell said he was “extremely concerned” by the allegations but did not announce any plans to halt funding UNRWA.
“UNRWA has been playing a vital role over many years supporting vulnerable Palestinian refugees in accessing vital services such as education and health, and is a crucial partner of the international community, including the EU,” he said. “We are in contact with UNRWA, expect it to provide full transparency on the allegations and to take immediate measures against staff involved. The Commission will assess further steps and draw lessons based on the result of the full and comprehensive investigation.”
Earlier this month, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby defended the agency when asked if Republicans’ calls to investigate the agency have shifted the administration’s “strategy” regarding the organization.
“The U.N. relief agency does important work. In fact, they’re doing a lot of heavy lifting right now in terms of trying to get food, water, medicine to the people of Gaza all up and down the strip. They’re doing a lot of work, and they’re doing it in harm’s way,” Kirby told reporters. “You can’t hold them accountable for the depredations of Hamas and the way Hamas uses civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, for command and control or storage of weapons for the holding of hostages.”
The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has taken a devastating toll on the Gaza Strip.
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More than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed in the three and half months since the Hamas attacks, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry. An overwhelming majority of Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced, while international leaders have warned about the possibility of widespread disease and famine.
Israel’s military campaign continues in the southern part of the strip despite international calls for a ceasefire. The International Court of Justice on Friday ordered Israel to increase its efforts to prevent Palestinian civilian casualties but did not call for a ceasefire in a preliminary ruling.
