The United Nations has acknowledged that nine employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) may have taken part in the October 7 terrorist attack carried out by Hamas.
Earlier this year, Israel said at least 12 UNRWA staff had taken part in the terrorist attacks, and there have been reports that UNRWA staff have praised the attacks and that many are members of terrorist organisations.
Following Israel’s condemnation, the United States suspended funding to UNRWA, and many other donor countries followed suit. found There was insufficient evidence to substantiate Israel’s claims (Israel rejected the findings, as did UN watchdog groups, who said the investigation ignored the available evidence).
An investigation by the UN’s internal oversight office is still ongoing, but almost all of the countries that suspended funding have Resuming All countries except the United States and New Zealand have suspended funding for UNRWA (though Britain resumed funding for the organization last month after coming to power with a Labour government).
The UN’s own internal report acknowledged some responsibility, and it now appears that these countries acted prematurely.
The Israel Times report Monday:
The United Nations said nine staff members of UNRWA, the Palestinian refugee aid agency, were “possibly involved” in the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
The Office of Internal Oversight Services has completed investigations into 19 UNRWA staff who allegedly took part in the attacks, concluding in nine cases that “evidence received by OIOS indicates that UNRWA staff may have been involved in the armed attack on 7 October 2023.”
“These individuals’ employment will be terminated in the interest of the agency,” the statement said.
The mother of an Israeli man killed by Hamas last week and whose body was transported to Gaza by UNRWA staff has criticised UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini for his pro-Palestinian speech in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The Trump administration cut off funding to UNRWA. The Biden administration restored funding after taking office but then cut it off following Israeli criticism. UNRWA has long been accused of indoctrinating Palestinians to hate Israel and the Jews, and of encouraging them to expect “refugees” to return once Israel is destroyed.
Israel says the group has failed to deliver aid to Gaza and that its past record means it cannot play any role in the Strip after the war.
Joel B. Pollack is executive editor of Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday The show airs Sunday nights from 7 to 10 p.m. (4 to 7 p.m. ET) on SiriusXM Patriot. He is the author of “Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” which is available for preorder on Amazon. He also wrote,Trumpian virtue: The lessons and legacy of Donald Trump’s presidency” is available on Audible. He is the 2018 recipient of the Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter. Joel Pollack.
