The U.N. introduced on Monday that it fired 9 employees members from its company for Palestinian refugees, often called UNRWA, after an inner investigation discovered they might have been concerned within the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, assault towards Israel.
John Minchillo/AP
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John Minchillo/AP
JERUSALEM — The United Nations mentioned Monday it has fired extra employees members from its company for Palestinian refugees after an inner investigation discovered they might have been concerned within the Hamas-led Oct. 7 assault towards Israel.
The U.N. secretary-general’s workplace introduced the transfer in a short assertion to journalists. Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the secretary-general, didn’t elaborate on the UNRWA staffers’ possible function within the assault or on the proof that prompted its determination.
UNRWA beforehand fired 12 staffers and put seven staffers on administrative depart with out pay over the claims. The group of 9 staffers the U.N. introduced it had fired Monday consists of some from every group, mentioned Juliette Touma, communications director for UNRWA.
The U.N. didn’t make clear what number of have now been fired from the company in complete.
The U.N.’s inner watchdog has been investigating the company since Israel in January accused 12 UNRWA staffers of being concerned within the Oct. 7 assault on Israel, wherein militants killed 1,200 folks and kidnapped some 250 others.
Israel’s allegations initially led high donor nations to droop their funding for UNRWA. That prompted a money crunch of about $450 million {dollars}. Since then, all donor nations aside from the U.S. have determined to renew funding.
Oren Marmorstein, the spokesperson for Israel’s Ministry of International Affairs, wrote on X following the announcement of the firings that Israel was once more calling for donor nations to droop funding “because the funds might go to terrorist components.”
“UNRWA is a part of the issue and never a part of the answer, and anybody who seeks the most effective pursuits of Israel, the Gaza Strip and the area ought to act to interchange UNWRA’s actions with different businesses,” he wrote.
The U.N. watchdog charged with investigating UNRWA, known as the Workplace of Inner Oversight Providers, mentioned it drew on proof supplied by Israel in discussions with Israeli authorities. It mentioned it couldn’t independently corroborate that proof because it didn’t have direct entry to it. The investigators additionally reviewed inner UNRWA data, together with employees data, e mail and different communications knowledge.
It mentioned it discovered ample proof pointing to 9 workers’ potential involvement within the Oct. 7 assault.
An Israeli official with information of the discussions, who requested anonymity as a result of he was not licensed to transient the media, mentioned that Israeli authorities spent hours on every accused UNRWA staffer when briefing U.N. investigators on their findings.
“I’ve determined that within the case of those remaining 9 employees members, they can not work for UNRWA,” the company’s head Philippe Lazzarini mentioned in a press release.
“The company’s precedence is to proceed lifesaving and important companies for Palestine refugees in Gaza and throughout the area, particularly within the face of the continued conflict, the instability and danger of regional escalation,” mentioned Lazzarini, who additionally mentioned he condemned the Oct. 7 assault.
In 9 different instances, the proof was inadequate, and in a single different case there was no proof pointing to involvement.
UNRWA has been the primary company distributing help to Palestinians in Gaza throughout the 10-month outdated conflict there, which Gaza Well being officers say has killed over 39,600 folks and unleashed a mass humanitarian disaster.
Israel has escalated requires the company’s shutdown for the reason that conflict started. It has lengthy accused UNRWA of collaborating with Hamas and turning a blind eye to the militant group’s actions. All through the conflict, it has launched photos of tunnels constructed subsequent to UNRWA services and charged that many extra UNRWA staffers than those that have been fired are members of militant teams.
In the course of the conflict, far-right protesters demonstrating towards the company have set parts of the its facility in Jerusalem ablaze.
UNRWA denies collaborating with Hamas. The company says that greater than 200 UNRWA staffers have been killed, and 190 of the company’s installations have been broken throughout the conflict — together with U.N.-run colleges which were become shelters for displaced Palestinians.
