The Israeli intelligence dossier alleges that a dozen UN agency employees were involved in the October 7 attack on Israel.
An Israeli intelligence document that led several countries to suspend funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) includes allegations that some staff members participated in kidnappings and murders during the attack. led by Hamas against Israel on October 7.
The Israeli dossier alleges that some 190 UNRWA employees, including teachers, have become Hamas or Islamic Jihad fighters, the Reuters news agency reported.
Palestinian officials have accused Israel of falsifying information to smear UNRWA. The UN fired nine of the accused workers, condemned “the alleged abhorrent acts” and launched an investigation into the allegations.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with the world body's head of internal investigations to ensure that an investigation into the allegations “will be conducted as quickly and efficiently as possible,” a U.N. spokesman said Monday. .
Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,139 people and taking another 240 captive, according to Israeli figures.
Israel responded to the attack with a devastating bombing, siege and ground invasion of Gaza. According to Palestinian authorities, more than 26,600 people have been killed in the Israeli attack on Gaza and vast areas of the territory have been reduced to rubble.
The Israeli document lists 12 people, their alleged roles in the Oct. 7 attack, job descriptions and photographs. The findings detailed in the paper could not be independently confirmed.
The file said that of the 12 workers, nine were teachers and one a social worker. Seven of the employees were charged with crossing into Israel on October 7. Of them, one was accused of participating in a kidnapping, another of helping to kidnap the body of a dead soldier, and three others of participating in the attacks.
One was accused of arming himself with an anti-tank missile the night before the attack, while the document claimed another took photographs of a female hostage. Ten of them had ties to Hamas and one to the Islamic Jihad militant group.
Two of the 12 have been murdered, according to the document. The UN previously said one person was still being identified.
Suspension of funds
Allegations against UNRWA staff led several donor countries to freeze funds for the agency.
UNRWA provides crucial daily assistance to 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza who are experiencing a terrible humanitarian catastrophe amid the Israeli onslaught. The agency said on Monday that it would not be able to continue operations in Gaza and across the region beyond the end of February if funding was not resumed.
More than 10 countries, including major donors the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, have suspended their funding to the agency.
Some donor countries have said they will continue funding UNRWA, while others have urged donors to resume their cooperation. Saudi Arabia urged the agency's supporters to “play their role in supporting humanitarian tasks towards Palestinian refugees.” Lebanon called the suspension of funding a “historic mistake,” and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said UNRWA should not be punished for claims against individual staff members.
Since the war began, most Palestinians in Gaza have come to rely on the agency's programs for “pure survival,” including food and shelter, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said.
Long-standing tensions
The accusations have stoked long-standing tensions between Israel and UNRWA. Israel says Hamas uses the agency's facilities to store weapons and launch attacks. UNRWA says it does not consciously tolerate such behavior and has internal safeguards to prevent abuse and discipline any wrongdoing.
Even before the latest accusations, Lazzarini had announced that he would order an external review of the agency's operations and its safeguards.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he had canceled a Wednesday meeting between Israeli officials and Lazzarini, and called on the UNRWA chief to resign.
