U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and U.N. General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock are facing criticism for honoring a Hamas leader during an annual memorial service for U.N. employees who died in the past year. The U.N. has dismissed calls for an apology, labeling the inclusion of the terrorist as a simple error.
In June, the U.N. service featured the lighting of a candle known as the “eternal flame,” while the names of 136 deceased employees were read aloud, accompanied by somber violin music. Among those honored was Imad El Samhouri, who served as a teacher and principal at the UNRWA Preparatory Boys School B in Rafah before being killed by an Israeli airstrike in June 2025.
Critics, including Israeli ambassador Danny Danon and U.N. Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer, expressed outrage over El Samhouri’s inclusion, pointing to his history as a Hamas leader known for posting inflammatory content on social media. Neuer shared evidence on social media, including a video where El Samhouri proudly declared his commitment to jihad while surrounded by weapons.
El Samhouri’s ties to Hamas extended beyond rhetoric; he reportedly established a network within UNRWA schools, integrating other Hamas members into the environment while gaining access to many Palestinian children. Neuer noted the widespread knowledge of El Samhouri’s affiliations within UNRWA Rafah, highlighting his connections to senior Hamas officials and public displays of support for violent actions.
El Samhouri was involved in recruiting for the Al-Qadisiyah Rafah Club, which was financed by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and engaged in teaching children the use of firearms. In an open letter to Guterres and Baerbock, Neuer demanded that they recognize UNRWA’s apparent inability or unwillingness to eliminate terrorist influence in its schools.
Neuer challenged them, asking how many more teachers with ties to Hamas need to be revealed before acknowledging the depth of the issue. He reminded Guterres of his remarks about the honor of working with those named during the ceremony, pressing the Secretary-General on whether he still stood by his words in light of new revelations about El Samhouri’s activities.
Calling for the retraction of the tribute and an independent investigation into how someone like El Samhouri was allowed to oversee UNRWA schools for over a decade, Neuer underscored the need for accountability within the organization.
On Wednesday, Guterres’s spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, stated there would be no retraction or apology for honoring El Samhouri, asserting that the names for the memorial had been shared with Israeli authorities without objection. He added that had the allegations been raised formally at the time, El Samhouri’s name might not have been included.
Neuer sarcastically summarized the situation, suggesting the U.N. is avoiding responsibility for honoring a Hamas commander. Israeli Ambassador Danon echoed these sentiments, criticizing the U.N. spokesperson for failing to condemn the actions of former UNRWA employees and expressing frustration over the perceived moral decline of the organization during Guterres’s leadership.
