- UN dismisses nine UNRWA staff on terrorism charges
United Nations sever ties with nine UNRWA employees following serious terror allegations. An investigation that has been ongoing for months has concluded that "information received suggests that UNRWA employees may have been involved in the armed attacks of October 7, 2023," the organization announced.
Upon request, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq acknowledged that the allegations made by Israel could not be definitively confirmed by the United Nations, "as information used by Israeli officials to support the accusations remained in Israeli custody." However, the organization deemed the evidence sufficient to justify the terminations.
Israel made serious allegations against UNRWA employees
The spokesperson confirmed that the UN believes, with a high or very high degree of probability, that the UNRWA employees were involved in the devastating terrorist acts. Details of the nature of their involvement were not initially provided. In ten other cases, the evidence was insufficient to end employment relationships. The United Nations emphasized that it was not investigated whether the terminated employees were members of the militant Hamas. The whereabouts of the accused remained unclear.
In recent months, the UN has repeatedly criticized Israel for making serious allegations without providing the underlying evidence. Even after the now-concluded investigation, it appeared that the United Nations could not independently verify crucial evidence such as videos.
UNRWA came into the spotlight in January when Israel claimed that twelve employees were involved in the devastating terrorist acts of the Islamic Hamas on October 7 – later, allegations were made against further individuals. Some of the main donors, including the USA and Germany, temporarily suspended their payments. Berlin resumed the contributions together with a number of other countries.
A further investigation into whether UNRWA was adhering to its neutrality guidelines found some "robust" mechanisms but also identified areas for improvement. The organization, with 12,000 employees in the Gaza Strip, is considered a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of needy Palestinians in the wake of the devastating war that followed the terror attack.
The investigation into the terror allegations revealed potential involvement of UNRWA employees in the October 7, 2023 attacks,specifically in the Palestinian territories. Despite UN's inability to verify Israeli-held evidence, the organization chose to terminate the employment of nine individuals due to sufficient evidence.
