The UN's Supreme Humanitarian Officer told Fox News Digital that he had never “seeed a fragment of evidence” of UN involvement through the use of facilities or staff in the retention of hostages in Gaza.
When asked about the former Hamas hostage claims, they denied that Tom Fletcher, a UN facility or UN staff member, Tom Fletcher, secretary general of the Humanitarian Relief and Relief Coordinator, and the Coordination Agency for the Humanitarian Agreement (OCHA) had seen evidence of the claims.
“I have never seen fragments of evidence before, but I sought it, suggesting that there was a UN acquiescence at the UN or that it was involved in the UN buildings and UN staff being involved in retaining those hostages,” Fletcher said at a press conference.
UN Tom Fletcher will be attending a press conference held in Geneva, Switzerland on December 3, 2024. (Reuters/Dennis Balib House)
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He also said, “If we get evidence of UN workers involved in terrorist acts or hostage acts, we will of course investigate.” Fletcher offered to lead the investigation himself.
Emily Damali, a former Hamas hostage released in the latest ceasefire contract, claimed that she was detained by the UN Relief and Labor Service for Palestinian refugees at the Near East (UNRWA) facility during her confinement. Damali, who holds British and Israeli citizenship, told British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer that she was denied proper medical care while she was detained at a UNRWA school.
Fletcher said the facility was “a shelter that was used by the United Nations before it was bombed by the Israelis.” He admitted that Hamas may have used the facility since then, but that said the UN was “not there to stop them from doing it.”
Emily Damali and her mother Mandy will be seen near Kibbutz Laim in southern Israel after being released from captivity by Hamasterolists in Gaza on January 19th. (AP/Israel Army)
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In a statement to Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danone's Fox News Digital, he called on the United Nations to investigate “these very serious claims.”
“We believe in the testimony of the Israelite hostages who have passed through the hell of Hamas prisoners of war. Rather than devote sufficient resources and effort to demonize Israel, the United Nations should thoroughly investigate these very serious claims regarding the United Nations' accomplices in the fallen Hamas terrorist attacks,” Danone said in a statement.
“In the face of the UN actor's involvement in terrorism against UNRWA and Jews, I condemned the UN for the singular patterns of its actions,” said Anne Beyfsky, director of the Turo Institute on Human Rights, director of the Holocaust Voice and president of the Voice of Human Rights.
“Israel presented evidence of UNRWA's participation in the cruelty of October 7th, as well as a mountain of continuous attempts to save Hamas. “'Israel doesn't see evil, I don't hear evil reactions' – again – in the face of this devastating information from the hostages, very simply, sleazy. ”
Israel and the United Nations flag outside the United Nations headquarters in New York.
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Bayefsky said, “As far as the UN misinformation machine is concerned, the evidence is never sufficient.”
Fletcher says he has never seen “snippets of evidence,” but the UN Surveillance Service (OIOS), which reviewed Israeli claims, says “UNRWA staff may have been involved in the October 7 attack.”
The OIOS examined evidence of involvement in the UN workers' attacks and found that there was “inadequate” evidence that nine workers were involved in the massacre. However, it was not entirely to hand over that possibility. In fact, UNRWA Chairman Philip Lazarini issued a statement on the investigation, deciding that the employee in question “cannot work for UNRWA.”
Fox News reached out to representatives of Damali's family, but did not respond to what Fletcher said.
