Posted in Foreign News

UNRWA probes employees over suspected involvement in October 7 attack

   January 26, 2024
UNRWA probes employees over suspected involvement in October 7 attack


The US suspended funding to the UN agency after Israel said some of its employees were allegedly involved in the attacks.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees says it has opened an investigation into some employees whom Israel accuses of involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks and has severed ties with those employees.

“The Israeli authorities have provided UNRWA with information about the suspected involvement of several UNRWA employees in the horrific attacks on Israel on October 7,” said Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). ), said on Friday.

“To protect the agency’s ability to provide humanitarian assistance, I have decided to immediately terminate the contracts of these employees and launch an investigation to immediately find out the truth.”

Lazzarini did not disclose the number of employees allegedly involved in the attacks or the nature of their alleged involvement. However, he said that “any UNRWA staff involved in terrorist attacks” would be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “appalled by this news,” said his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric. He added that the UN chief had asked Lazzarini to conduct an investigation to ensure that any UNRWA staffer found guilty of complicity in the October 7 attacks was fired and referred for possible criminal prosecution.

The US State Department said it was concerned about the allegations, which allegedly involved 12 UNRWA employees. It said it would not provide the agency with additional funding until the allegations were resolved.

“The State Department has temporarily suspended providing additional funding to UNRWA while we review these allegations and the steps the United Nations is taking to address them,” said spokesman Matthew Miller.

Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, said in a statement that the 27-member bloc would “assess further steps and draw lessons based on the results of the full and comprehensive investigation.”

UNRWA, whose largest donors in 2022 included the US, Germany and the EU, has repeatedly said that its ability to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza is on the verge of collapse.

Founded in 1949 after the first Arab-Israeli war, the agency provides services such as school education, basic medical care and humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

Since the start of the war on Gaza, Israeli authorities, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have accused the country of fomenting anti-Israel incitement – allegations the country denies.

UNRWA says it has provided aid to desperate people in Gaza and used its facilities to provide shelter to those fleeing Israeli attacks.

The organization’s shelters were also repeatedly attacked by Israeli missiles during the war, despite requests for safe passage for the delivery of humanitarian aid and assistance.





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