What we know about Israel’s allegations against UN staffers in Gaza

World 28 January, 2024 14:24

The main UN agency in Gaza is in turmoil after Israel accused some of its staff members of involvement in Hamas’ October 7 terror attacks.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has fired several employees in the wake of the allegations, which have not been made public. The US and several other countries have also paused funding to the organization, which employs around 13,000 people in Gaza, as humanitarian disaster spirals in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

In a statement issued Sunday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said nine of the 12 UNRWA staff members at the center of the allegations had been fired. One other was dead and the identities of two others were still “being clarified.”

“Any UN employee involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution,” Guterres said, adding that an independent review is forthcoming. However, he urged countries to continue financial assistance to the UNRWA, which supports two million Gazans who depend on “critical aid for daily survival.”

In the wake of the allegations, nine countries have so far paused funding for what is the main UN agency in Gaza.

“The abhorrent alleged acts of these staff members must have consequences,” Guterres said. “But the tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many in some of the most dangerous situations for humanitarian workers, should not be penalized,” he added. “The dire needs of the desperate populations they serve must be met.”Here’s what we know.

What is UNRWA?

UNRWA was established by the United Nations after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war to provide humanitarian assistance for displaced Palestinians.

The organization characterizes Palestinian refugees as any “persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 War.”

Those who fit that definition now number 5.9 million. Israel has rejected the possibility of allowing the displaced Palestinians to return home, arguing that the move would change the country’s Jewish character.

Since its establishment, the United Nations’ General Assembly – a voting body of all member states – has repeatedly renewed UNRWA’s mandate. The agency has provided aid to four generations of Palestine refugees, according to its website, covering education, healthcare, camp infrastructure, social services and emergency assistance, including in times of conflict.

Neither Israel nor UNRWA have specified the nature of the alleged involvement of UNRWA employees in the events of October 7, nor did they specify the number of employees allegedly involved.

However, an Israeli official told CNN on Friday that Israel shared information about 12 staffers allegedly involved in the October 7 attacks both with UNRWA and the US.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has said he received “information about the alleged involvement of several employees.” To protect the agency’s ability to deliver humanitarian assistance in Gaza, he decided “to immediately terminate the contracts of these staff members and launch an investigation in order to establish the truth,” according to a statement.

Any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror “will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution,” he added.

In addition to the staffers’ alleged October 7 involvement, the Israel Defense Forces on Saturday also alleged that UNRWA facilities were used for “terrorist purposes”, in a statement to CNN on Saturday.

“A case was compiled by the Intelligence Directorate, incriminating several UNRWA employees for their alleged involvement in the massacre, along with evidence pointing to the use of UNRWA facilities for terrorist purposes,” the IDF statement said.

Asked about the claim about UNRWA facilities, the agency told CNN, “We don’t have more information on this at this stage. The Office of Internal Oversight Services (the internal oversight body of the UN) will look into all these allegations as part of the investigation the Commissioner General of UNRWA has requested them to undertake.”

Hamas in an official statement released Saturday criticized the decision to end the employees’ contracts, and accused Israel of trying to undermine UNRWA and other organizations providing humanitarian relief in Gaza.

What’s the current relationship between Israel and the UN?

Israel’s relations with the greater UN have sunk to a historic low in recent months. Senior UN officials have been highly critical of Israel’s war conduct in Gaza, which has killed more than 26,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health authority in the territory. Israeli diplomats meanwhile have been angered by UN calls for ceasefire.

In December, Israeli diplomats lashed out when UN Secretary-General António Guterres invoked a rarely used diplomatic tool to bring the conflict before the UN Security Council. In a letter to the 15-member council, Guterres urged the body to “press to avert a humanitarian catastrophe” and unite in a call for a full humanitarian ceasefire.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan, who has argued that a ceasefire “cements Hamas’ control of Gaza,” criticized Guterres for the move, noting that recent wars in Ukraine, Yemen, and Syria hadn’t prompted the same response.

The UNRWA allegations on Friday came on the same day that the UN’s top court ordered Israel to act immediately to prevent genocide in Gaza, though it stopped short of calling for a ceasefire.

UNRWA has long been a target of Israeli criticism. Israel has accused the UN agency of anti-Israel incitement, which UNRWA denies. In 2017, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to dismantle the UN body, saying it should be merged with the main UN refugee agency.

UNRWA has repeatedly denied allegations that its aid is being diverted to Hamas or that it teaches hatred in its schools, and has questioned “the motivation of those who make such claims.” The agency has condemned the Hamas attack on October 7 as “abhorrent.”

How has the world reacted

Several Western countries have announced the suspension of funding for UNRWA in the wake of the allegations. The US State Department on Friday said it had “temporarily paused additional funding” to the agency. Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany followed suit, among others.

Ireland said Saturday that it had “no plans to suspend funding for UNRWA’s vital Gaza work,” with Irish foreign minister Micheál Martin tweeting that he had “full confidence” in Lazzarini’s decision to “investigate thoroughly.”

Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands were among a handful of countries that paused their UNRWA funding in light of the allegations. “Switzerland has zero tolerance for any support for terrorism and any incitement to hatred or violence,” the Swiss Foreign Minister said, adding that the country “expects the same” from its partners.”

Norway’s government on Saturday said it would continue financial support for the UNRWA while awaiting the result of the investigation. “The situation in Gaza is catastrophic, and UNRWA is the most important humanitarian organization there. Norway continues our support for the Palestinian people through UNRWA. International support for Palestine is needed now more than ever,” Norway’s representative to the Palestinian Authority posted in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.”

Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative, described the decision to suspend funds as “shameful,” emphasizing that the allegations had emerged on the same day as the International Court of Justice’s ruling.

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has called on the countries cutting funding to “immediately retract their decision.” PLO Secretary-General Husseim Al-Sheick said the suspension of funding “entails great political and relief risks.”

Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant praised the US’s decision to pause funding on Friday, and Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has called for more nations to cut off UNRWA’s funding.

UNRWA’s response

In a statement Saturday, UNRWA chief Lazzarini described the funding suspensions as “shocking” and urged them to reconsider. Such decisions threaten the organization’s humanitarian relief for millions of people, he warned.

“It would be immensely irresponsible to sanction an agency and an entire community it serves because of allegations of criminal acts against some individuals, especially at a time of war, displacement and political crises in the region,” Lazzarini’s statement read.

“UNRWA shares the list of all its staff with host countries every year, including Israel. The Agency never received any concerns on specific staff members.”

Funding has long been a challenge for UNRWA and the suspension of funding by key backers – however brief – raises question on how it will be able to continue to help people in Gaza amid growing fears of starvation.