UNRWA fires 9 staffers over possible involvement in Oct. 7 massacre after months of denying Hamas links

08/07/2024 / By Ramon Tomey

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has fired nine staffers who were reportedly involved in the Oct. 7 Operation Al-Aqsa Flood attack in Israel.

The United Nations agency terminated the nine individuals on Aug. 5 for working alongside Hamas – formally the Islamic Resistance Movement – as it slaughtered Israeli civilians. “For nine people, the evidence was sufficient to conclude that they may have been involved in the [Oct.7] attacks,” said UNRWA spokesman Farhan Haq.

According to the Israeli government, at least 12 UNRWA employees directly participated in the Oct. 7 attack that killed more than 1,200. It also alleged that around 10 percent of UNRWA’s workforce is affiliated with Hamas – including around 450 staffers serving as foot soldiers for the group. (Related: Israel seeks to label UN agency responsible for aiding Palestinian refugees a terrorist organization.)

The agency initiated an internal review following cuts to funding from the U.S. and other international donors, with the results of this probe leading to the Aug. 5 announcement. Reuters reported, citing Haq, that the records of the three remaining UNRWA staffers would be reviewed.

The UNRWA spokesman added that all nine staffers who were terminated were men, but did not give details of what they may have done. “For us, any participation in the attacks is a tremendous betrayal of the sort of work that we are supposed to be doing on behalf of the Palestinian people,” the spokesman said.

Adam Kredo of the Washington Free Beacon noted that the termination “marks an abrupt about-face for the contested humanitarian group, which has long faced accusations that its employees double as Hamas agents and divert aid to the terror group.”

“The [UNRWA] has spent more than nine months denying its employees work alongside Hamas, dismissing these claims as Israeli propaganda. [It] categorically denied claims that its employees work with Hamas, even as Israeli authorities offered direct proof.”

UNRWA in hot water over links to Hamas

Kredo noted that as recently as May, UNRWA claimed it has “not received any information, let alone any evidence” from Tel Aviv or other UN member states about its employees linked to Hamas. The organization only “became aware of this claim first from international media and later from a press briefing by an Israeli government official,” it said in a fact sheet disputing Israel’s allegations.

“The names of the 12 individuals against whom allegations were made were all shared multiple times with Israel and other [UN] member states. Prior to January 2024, UNRWA did not receive any indication from the relevant authorities of any involvement of its staff in armed or militant groups.”

The agency has also disputed video evidence showing the aid it provides being stolen by Hamas and diverted away from the civilian population that needs it the most. It claimed that it is unaware of such illegal diversions, adding that “should it be revealed to be the case, UNRWA will strongly condemn any diversion of humanitarian supplies and immediately inform its donors to determine appropriate next steps.”

UNRWA also rejected claims that it had long been infiltrated by Hamas even before the Oct. 7 attack. According to the agency, such an accusation has “absolutely no ground.” While it has also repeatedly denied knowing Hamas’ use of its Gaza facilities as command centers and weapons storage depots, an instance in February appeared to debunk this claim.

That month, Israeli forces discovered a Hamas data center within a tunnel system underneath the UNRWA’s headquarters in the Gaza Strip. This led to UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazarini saying his organization “did not know what is under its headquarters in Gaza.”

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Watch this video about Hamas infrastructure being discovered underneath UNRWA facilities in the Gaza Strip.

This video is from the Jerusalem Cats channel on Brighteon.com.