UN says 9 UNRWA staff members participated in October 7 attack on Israel News
rusticus80, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
UN says 9 UNRWA staff members participated in October 7 attack on Israel

The UN on Monday announced that nine staff members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) may have been involved in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and have consequently been dismissed. The firings come after an investigation by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) examined nineteen UNRWA staff members over their alleged involvement in October 7.

According to UN spokesperson Farhan Haq, “In one case, no evidence was obtained by OIOS to support the allegations of the staff members’ involvement. While in nine other cases, the evidence obtained by OIOS was insufficient to support the staff members’ involvement. Regarding the remaining 9 cases, Haq stated, “The evidence obtained by OIOS indicated that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the armed attacks of 7 of October 2023. The employment of these individuals will be terminated in the interests of the agency.”

Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General said in a statement, “I have decided that in the case of these remaining nine staff members, they cannot work for UNRWA. All contracts of these staff members will be terminated in the interest of the Agency.” Lazzarini continued: “The Agency’s priority is to continue lifesaving and critical services for Palestine Refugees in Gaza and across the region, especially in the face of the ongoing war, the instability and risk of regional escalation.”

In a press release, a Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel commented said:

The probe by the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) proves that Israel’s assertions about the involvement of UNRWA employees in the October 7 massacre are credible and true.

UNRWA is part of the problem and not part of the solution, and anyone who seeks the best interests of Israel, the Gaza Strip and the region should act to replace UNWRA’s activities with other agencies.

The United Nations launched the investigation after UNRWA fired 12 employees allegedly involved in the October 7 attacks in January. Last month Lazzarini expressed deep concerns about the dire state of health facilities in Gaza, stating that the local health system is collapsing under the strain of continuous “Israeli bombardments and ground operations.”

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