U.N. to Investigate Claim That Employees Participated in Oct. 7 Attack

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U.N. to Investigate Claim That Employees Participated in Oct. 7 Attack
nytimes.com

The United Nations on Friday fired 12 of its employees in Gaza and began an investigation into them after accusations by Israel that they had helped plan and had participated in the Oct. 7 terrorist assault that left about 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 240 others captured.

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The United Nations on Friday fired 12 of its employees in Gaza and began an investigation into them after accusations by Israel that they had helped plan and had participated in the Oct. 7 terrorist assault that left about 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 240 others captured.

UNRWA, which provides social services in the Gaza Strip, has been the principal agency overseeing the distribution of aid to Gazans amid a dire humanitarian crisis in the territory that has worsened through months of war since the Oct. 7 attack.

UNRWA was created to provide aid to millions of Palestinians across the Middle East whose families fled or were forced from properties during the wars surrounding Israel’s creation in 1948.

Since Hamas won Palestinian elections in 2006 and then ousted a rival faction from Gaza a year later, the group, which is considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and other countries, ceded many of its civil responsibilities to UNRWA.

The department also said it was asking Israel, which initially made the allegation, for more information, and added that “UNRWA plays a critical role in providing lifesaving assistance to Palestinians, including essential food, medicine, shelter, and other vital humanitarian support.”

Josep Borrell Fontelles, the E.U.’s top diplomat and vice president of the European Commission, said he was “extremely concerned” about the allegation that U.N. employees had been involved in the terrorist attacks.


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During the 2023 Israel-Hamas war one of the hostages said after having been freed that he had been held in a house of a UNRWA teacher. UNRWA said that it is aware of the claims and is investigating it.[144] Additionally, teachers and other educational staff of UNRWA have been reported praising Hamas's terrorism on social media, referring to it as an "unforgettable glorious morning" and a "splendid sight."[145][146][147] The IDF uncovered assault rifles, ammunition, grenades and missiles with varying capacities of Hamas, hidden in and underneath UNRWA institutions.[148][149][150][151]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNRWA