Gaza: UNRWA dismisses employees accused of being linked to Hamas attacks
Immediate dismissal and an open investigation: the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) immediately took these decisions upon learning that Israel accuses several of its employees of having taken part in the Hamas attacks in October 7.
Gazans receive bags of flour distributed by Unrwa in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, November 21, 2023. © IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA / Reuters
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The UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), in the sights of the Israeli authorities for a long time, announced this Friday, January 26, that it had separated from several employees, accused of being linked to the Hamas attacks on October 7 . “
The Israeli authorities provided UNRWA with information on the supposed involvement of several of its employees
” in the attack, indicates
a press release from the head of the agency
, Philippe Lazzarini, without specifying their exact number or their identity.
UNRWA is the United Nations organization at the heart of distributing aid to civilians
in the Gaza Strip
, and is therefore under fire from the fighting on the ground in the enclave. “
To protect the agency's capacity to deliver humanitarian aid, I have decided to immediately terminate the contracts of these staff members and open an investigation
,” added Philippe Lazzarini. “
Any employee who has been involved in acts of terrorism will be held accountable, including through legal action.
»
At the same time, the organization reiterated “
its condemnation in the strongest terms
” of the October 7 attacks and calls for the “
immediate and unconditional
” release of the
Israeli hostages
still detained. However, she insists on the fact that "
more than 2 million people in Gaza
depend on the vital aid that the agency has provided
since the war began
" and that "
anyone who betrays the fundamental values of the United Nations also betrays those that we serve in Gaza, the region and elsewhere in the world
.”
Washington “
temporarily
” suspends its funding
A few minutes later, a scathing response came from Washington, which indicated that it would “
temporarily
” suspend any additional funding to the UN agency, while it studied these allegations. “
The United
States
is extremely concerned by accusations that twelve UNRWA employees may have been involved in the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel on October 7
,” the State Department spokesperson said. Matthew Miller, in a press release.
The head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken spoke with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in order to “
underline the need for a rapid and thorough investigation into this matter
”. The Israeli Foreign Ministry, for its part, also demanded a “
deep internal examination of the activities of Hamas and other terrorist organizations
” within UNRWA.
Tense relations between UNRWA and Israel
In New York, the secretary general said he was “
horrified
” by the news. The rag has been burning between Antonio Guterres and Israel since the start of this conflict, reports our correspondent in New York,
Carrie Nooten
. Israeli authorities have attacked the United Nations head-on, accusing it of being useless or pandering to Hamas. Again this Friday morning, the Israeli ambassador appeared at the podium of the General Assembly flanked by a yellow star, and accused the UN of wanting to destroy Israel.
Relations had also deteriorated further in recent days between Israel and the UN agency, when
the UN accused two Israeli tanks of having fired
on an UNRWA training center in Khan Younes, in the south of the Gaza Strip. Philippe Lazzarini denounced a “
flagrant violation of the fundamental rules of war
”. These new accusations of employees linked to Hamas are therefore all the more delicate for the United Nations, which denies being partial in this conflict.
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