UN fires 9 staffers accused of involvement in Oct. 7 Hamas-led massacre after probe
Nine staffers for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees have been fired over their potential involvement in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack that killed hundreds in southern Israel, the U.N. announced Monday.
The terminations are the result of an investigation by the U.N. Office of Oversight Services launched this year after Israel alleged that several UNRWA staffers took part in the Oct. 7 attack in which around 1,200 people were killed. Another 250 were taken hostage by terrorists and taken into Gaza.
U.N. Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters in New York that the Office of Oversight Services investigation was looking into allegations that 19 UNRWA staff were involved in the Oct. 7 attack. Despite the terminations, OIOS maintains that it couldn't independently verify information used by Israel to make the allegations.
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"In one case, no evidence was obtained by OIOS to support the allegations of the staff member's involvement, while in nine other cases, the evidence obtained by OIOS was insufficient to support the staff members' involvement," Huq said.
Huq said that appropriate measures will be taken in accordance with UNRWA regulations to respond to those 10 cases. As for the other nine cases, Huq said evidence suggests that UNRWA staff may have been involved in the attack.
"For the remaining nine cases, the evidence — if authenticated and corroborated — could indicate that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the attacks of 7 October," UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said 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."
Lazzarini stressed that UNRWA's priority is to "continue lifesaving and critical services for Palestine Refugees in Gaza and across the region, especially in the face of the ongoing war, the instability and risk of regional escalation."
"UNRWA is committed to continue upholding the fundamental principles and values of the United Nations, including the humanitarian principle of neutrality, and to ensure that all its staff abide by the Agency's policy on outside and political activities," he said. "Finally, I reiterate UNRWA's condemnation of the 7 October attack in the strongest possible terms. I call — once again — for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and their safe return to their families."
Earlier this year, UNRWA fired 12 staffers and put seven others on leave without pay amid the allegations of Oct. 7 involvement. UNRWA Communications Director Juliette Touma told The Associated Press that the group of nine announced Monday includes individuals from both groups previously announced. The U.N. has not stated how many UNRWA staffers have been terminated since Oct. 7.
The initial allegations in January that 12 UNRWA staffers had participated in the Oct. 7 attack led several U.N. member countries, including the United States, to halt their financial contributions to UNRWA. Since then, the United States has been the only donor country not to resume its contributions.
In late January, Israeli intelligence estimated that around 10% of UNRWA's 12,000 staffers in Gaza have ties to Hamas, a terror organization that has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, and other Islamic extremist organizations. A dossier shared with the U.S. government and obtained by The Wall Street Journal estimated that about 1,200 UNRWA employees in Gaza have links to Hamas or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Israeli intelligence also suggests that about half of UNRWA workers have family members who have ties to extremist organizations.
Other details in the dossier suggest that a UNRWA school counselor from Khan Younis and his son abducted a woman from Israel, The Times of Israel reports. A social worker with the agency was accused of supplying ammunition and directing traffic during the Oct. 7 attack. A third employee was accused of participating in the attack on Kibbutz Be'eri, in which 97 were killed.
Last December, Israeli Channel 13's Almog Boker reported that a UNRWA teacher allegedly held a man hostage and barely provided the abductee with enough to eat and neglected his medical needs. At the time, UNRWA said the journalist had not offered any evidence to the agency to support his claims.
In May, UN Watch published a series of chat room posts by Palestinians purportedly accusing UNRWA staff members of stealing humanitarian aid intended for civilians.
The Oct. 7 attack sparked an Israeli military offensive in Gaza to eradicate Hamas and free the hostages. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reports that over 39,000 people have been killed since the war began. Those figures don't differentiate between combatants and civilians.
