The United Nations announced on Monday that nine staff members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) may have been involved in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and have been consequently dismissed. The announcement followed an investigation by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), which examined nineteen UNRWA staff members over their alleged involvement in the attacks. The UN issued an official statement detailing the findings.
UN spokesperson Farhan Haq stated, “In one case, no evidence was obtained by OIOS to support the allegations against the staff member. While in nine other cases, the evidence obtained by OIOS was insufficient to support the staff members’ involvement.” He continued, “Regarding the remaining nine cases, the evidence obtained by OIOS indicated that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the armed attacks of October 7, 2023. The employment of these individuals will be terminated in the interests of the agency.”
Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, elaborated in a statement, “I have decided that in the case of these remaining nine staff members, they cannot work for UNRWA. All contracts of these staff members will be terminated in the interest of the Agency.” He emphasized that the agency’s priority is to continue providing lifesaving and critical services for Palestinian refugees in Gaza and across the region amidst the ongoing conflict.
A Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel commented on the investigation, stating, “The probe by the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) proves that Israel’s assertions about the involvement of UNRWA employees in the October 7 massacre are credible and true.” The spokesperson further asserted that UNRWA is part of the problem and suggested replacing its activities with those of other agencies. The full press release can be viewed on Israel’s social media.
The investigation was initiated following an earlier incident where UNRWA fired twelve employees in January who were allegedly involved in the same attacks. Last month, Lazzarini expressed deep concerns about the collapsing state of health facilities in Gaza due to continued Israeli bombardments and ground operations, as noted in his remarks.