The United Nations (UN) has terminated the employment of nine staff members from its agency for Palestinian refugees, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), due to their alleged involvement in an attack in southern Israel on October 7, carried out by Hamas. This confirmation came from UN spokesperson Farhan Haq on Monday.
Haq stated that the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) had completed its investigation concerning allegations raised by Israel. According to Haq, the OIOS had sufficient information to decide to dismiss the nine employees, while the involvement of the remaining ten individuals could not be substantiated.
“OIOS found findings regarding each of the 19 UNRWA staff members alleged to have been involved in the attacks,” Haq explained. “In one instance, no evidence was gathered to support staff involvement, while in nine other cases, the evidence was insufficient to support the claims.”
All nine employees are men, but Haq did not provide further details regarding their alleged actions. He emphasized that “any participation in the attacks is a tremendous betrayal of the work we must perform on behalf of the Palestinian people.”
Israel has responded strongly to this news, criticizing UNRWA. “Their ‘aid’ agency has officially reached a new low, and it is time for the world to see their true face,” stated Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, a representative of the Israeli military.
Following the Israeli allegations, many governments, including the United States, quickly suspended their support for UNRWA, jeopardizing the organization’s ability to deliver humanitarian aid in Gaza. However, several countries have since resumed their financial contributions.
Israel has vowed to eradicate Hamas in retaliation for the attacks on October 7, which resulted in 1,139 deaths, predominantly civilians, and the kidnapping of over 200 individuals. Since then, Israel’s military campaign, according to Gaza’s health ministry, has resulted in the deaths of at least 39,550 Palestinians.
UNRWA, which has provided essential humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees since 1949, has long faced criticism from Israel. In March, Israel accused over 450 UNRWA employees of being militants associated with “terrorist” groups in Gaza. UNRWA employs a total of 32,000 people in its operational area, with 13,000 of them based in Gaza.
In March, UNRWA argued that some employees who had been released from Israeli custody reported being pressured by the Israeli authorities to falsely claim connections between the organization and Hamas and to assert employee involvement in the October 7 attack. Earlier in the year, UNRWA’s head, Philippe Lazzarini, called on Israel to “stop its campaign” against the organization, highlighting the “shocking” attacks on staff, facilities, and operations.