UNRWA October 7 controversy

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UNRWA offices in East Jerusalem, Israeli-occupied West Bank.

On 26 January 2024, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) announced it was investigating allegations, presented to it by Israel nearly two weeks before, of the involvement of a dozen of its employees in the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.[1]

According to Israel, between 4 and 12 UNRWA employees were involved in the attacks, and are accused of participating in various capacities, ranging from roles in logistics and weapons procurement to hostage taking and direct participation in the attacks.[2][3][4] Israel alleges that around ten percent of the UNRWA's 13,000 employees in the Gaza Strip have connections to Islamist militant groups, primarily Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and that 190 UNRWA employees were militants.[5] In March 2024, Israel alleged that four additional UNRWA officials were involved in the attacks, alongside 400 personnel.[6]

Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of UNRWA, said the organization had dismissed the employees concerned,[a] and launched an investigation, adding that any staff found responsible would face consequences.[8][9][10][11] UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that nine UNRWA employees had been dismissed, one was deceased, and the identities of two other individuals involved in the case were under clarification.[12] Lazzarini clarified on 9 February that he had followed "reverse due process", firing the staff without looking into any evidence, deciding that swift action was the priority in the circumstances.[13] On 19 February, Lazzarini stated Israel had not provided any evidence to support its claim.[14] In late February, a US intelligence report expressed "low confidence" about Israeli claims on UNRWA.[15] An UNRWA report from February 2024 stated that Israel subjected some of its employees to falsely admit Hamas links under "forced confession", including through the use of torture.[16][17]

The controversy led several major donor countries to suspend their funding of UNRWA, including the United States, Germany and Japan.[18] The funds halt was criticized by several international organizations, considering the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip due to the Israeli invasion, including, the World Health Organization, Doctors Without Borders, and Amnesty International, which stated that the world's richest countries had made a "heartless decision ... to punish the most vulnerable population on earth because of the alleged crimes of 12 people".[19][20] In response, some other Western countries—Spain,[21] Portugal[22][23] and Ireland[24][25]—have increased their funding of UNRWA. The EU, which had suspended funding pending the outcome of the UNRWA investigations, restored and increased its funding on 1 March 2024 while Canada and Sweden are to restore funding.[26]

Background

2023 Hamas attacks on Israel

Main article: 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel
Further information: Gaza–Israel conflict and Israel–Hamas war

On 7 October 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip, that resulted in the deaths of 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals, predominantly citizens.[27] The militants attacked civilian communities, military bases, and public gatherings, massacring civilians and injuring them. The assault inflicted injuries upon thousands, with hundreds sustaining severe wounds.[citation needed] Hamas militants are also accused of committing acts of sexual violence and gender-based violence against numerous women, girls, and, in some instances, men.[28][29] Additionally, approximately 250 Israeli civilians and soldiers were abducted and taken as hostages to the Gaza Strip, including 30 children.[30] 7 October 2023 has been labelled the bloodiest day in Israel's history.[31]

In response, Israel launched airstrikes and a subsequent full-scale offensive on Gaza, with the stated goal of destroying the organization and securing the release of the hostages.[32] According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 26,000 Palestinians, most of whom were women and children.[27]

UNRWA

Main article: UNRWA
Further information: International aid to Palestinians § UNRWA

UNRWA is a UN agency responsible for supporting the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. It was established to assist Palestinians displaced by the 1948 Arab–Israeli War[9] (estimated at 700,000 individuals) and subsequent conflicts, along with their descendants,[33][34] including legally adopted children.[35] It now aids over 5.6 million registered Palestinian refugees (as of 2019).[36] In 2023, UNRWA's largest donors were the US, the EU and Germany.[9]

With a workforce of over 30,000 employees, including approximately 13,000 in Gaza,[37] UNRWA predominantly comprises Palestinian refugees alongside a smaller contingent of international staff.[38] Operating in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, the agency's mandate has shifted from providing employment and humanitarian aid to delivering healthcare, schooling, and social services to the population it serves.[9] Prior to the Israel–Hamas war, UNRWA operated 700 schools and 140 health centers in the Gaza Strip.[9]

UNRWA is the only UN agency dedicated to aiding refugees from a specific region or conflict,[39] distinguishing it from UNHCR, a UN agency established in 1950 to assist refugees globally. Unlike UNRWA, UNHCR's mandate includes supporting refugees in achieving local integration, resettlement in third countries, or repatriation when feasible, with the aim of eliminating their refugee status.[40]

Israel has been a longtime critic of UNRWA[41][42] and considers it an obstacle to resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict, by preventing the descendants of refugees from settling in their present locations and keeping the question of return open.[43][44][45]

Israel has also expressed concern over what the agency teaches students and over the agency's relation to Hamas;[46] according to Israel, schools operated by the agency have been used by Hamas for terrorist activities.[47] Israeli officials have alleged that since the 7 October attacks, several UNRWA members have been observed celebrating the incidents on social media platforms.[47] Prior to the release of the allegations, Israeli officials had discussed ways to shut down UNRWA funding.

In 2021, UNRWA's major donors, Australia, Canada, UK and the European Union, began investigating hate and violence in UNRWA textbooks, UNRWA responded by blocking access to the textbooks in its website.[48] In a hearing later the same year, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini acknowledged that the content of the UNRWA school curriculum included antisemitism, glorification of acts of terror and incitement to violence.[49][48] A few weeks after the 7 October attacks, IMPACT-SE reported that at least a hundred Hamas members had been educated within the UNRWA system, with two confirmed to have participated in the attacks.[50]

At the end of December 2023, the Times of Israel reported the contents of "a high-level, classified Foreign Ministry report" outlining a three-step plan to force UNRWA out of post-war Gaza, with step one involving a "comprehensive report on alleged UNRWA cooperation with Hamas".[51]

On 4 January 2024, Israel Hayom reported that a group of Knesset members were seeking to halt global funding for UNRWA, based on concerns that it is a tool of Hamas. MK Sharren Haskel stated they sought "to stop funds which are being transferred from various countries to this organization, and remove UNRWA's mask".[52][53]

Allegations

A few days prior to 26 January Israel presented allegations to UNRWA saying that twelve employees had been involved with the 7 October attacks; reportedly some had been identified based on footage captured during the attacks, while others had admitted to working for UNRWA under interrogation after being captured. According to Israel, while they had held information on this for some time it was only in the two weeks prior to the allegations emerging that they had connected this information with a second cache of intelligence which "solidified an assessment that the UNRWA employees had been involved in the attack"; this intelligence included footage taken by Hamas militants during the attacks.[54][1]

According to Israel, there is a structural relation between UNRWA and Hamas, these twelve employees are just the "tip of the iceberg".[55] Israel also alleges that UNRWA facilities and vehicles were used in the 7 October attacks. Israel said it has compiled a case "incriminating several UNRWA employees for their alleged involvement in the massacre, along with evidence pointing to the use of UNRWA facilities for terrorist purposes".[56][57]

On 28 January, Israel Hayom reported that Israel had been in possession of the information for an extended time, but had declined to release it publicly as they considered UNRWA to be the only functional entity in Gaza, and that "without it the chaos would be even greater". According to Israel Hayom's sources, Israel is uncertain why UNRWA and the United States decided to act on the information now; they speculated that the US action might be because of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing on 30 January "where even more embarrassing information about UNRWA will likely be exposed".[58]

It was further reported by Reuters that the Israeli intelligence dossier accuses 190 UNRWA employees of being "hardcore" Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, while overall 10% of UNRWA staff was considered to have some affiliation with those organizations.[5]

Israeli dossier

From 29 January 2024, the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Sky News, and Financial Times reported on an Israeli intelligence dossier that Israel had presented to the U.S., and part of which had been shared with them and other media. The dossier alleged that at least 12 UNRWA employees had been involved in the October 7th attacks and that about 1,200 UNRWA employees, 10% of UNRWA's 12,000 employees in Gaza, had links with Palestinian militant groups. Israel detailed individual accusations against UNRWA staff[3] which were reported slightly differently in the various press articles.

Summary of allegations

The Wall Street Journal reported the accusations against individual staff as follows:[3]

  • That an UNRWA Arabic teacher and Hamas commander had allegedly taken part in the Be'eri massacre
  • That an UNRWA social worker had allegedly been involved in taking the body of an Israeli soldier to Gaza and coordinated Hamas distribution of trucks and munitions.
  • That an UNRWA teacher was affiliated with Hamas, had photographed a female hostage in Gaza, and worked with another teacher who carried an anti-tank missile in the pre-attack preparations
  • That an UNRWA employee had allegedly established an operations room for Palestinian Islamic Jihad following the attack
  • That Hamas had allegedly instructed three other employees, including an Arabic teacher, to arm themselves near the border
  • That another elementary school teacher had allegedly crossed into Israel and was present in Re'im, an area where militants stormed a kibbutz, a military base, and a music festival

The New York Times reported the allegations against individuals somewhat differently:[59][4]

  • That seven of the accused were teachers at UNRWA schools
  • That two worked at schools in other capacities
  • That a clerk, a social worker, and a storeroom manager also participated in the October 7 attacks
  • That ten UNRWA staff were members of Hamas, and an eleventh was a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad
  • That a school counselor from Khan Younis abducted a woman from Israel in collaboration with his son
  • That a social worker from Nuseirat distributed ammunition and coordinated vehicles during the attack, as well assisted in bringing the dead body of an Israeli soldier to Gaza
  • That an employee participated in a massacre that left 97 dead, possibly in reference to the Be'eri massacre

Intelligence gathering methods

The dossier said that Israel had gathered the intelligence information via signal intelligence, cellphone tracking data, interrogations of captured Hamas militants, and documents recovered from dead militants.[3] The New York Times reported more specifics: that the dossier said that Israeli intelligence had traced the movement of six of the employees inside Israel through their cell phones. Others, according to Israel, had phone calls intercepted in which they discussed their participation in the attacks, while three others received text messages ordering them to report to muster points, including one who was ordered to bring rocket propelled grenades that they had stored in their home.[4]

U.S. intelligence assessment

In a February 21, 2024 article titled "U.S. Finds Some Israeli Claims on U.N. Staff Likely, Others Not", the Wall Street Journal reported on a US intelligence assessment which said it could not verify Israel's claims that 10% of UNRWA staff have some kind of "link" to militants but did it not dispute the accusations per se. It had "low confidence" in, but found "credible", claims about individual staff at UNRWA.[60]

Criticism of Wall Street Journal article

Main article: Wall Street Journal UNRWA article controversy

On January 28, 2024, in an article titled "Details Emerge on U.N. Workers Accused of Aiding Hamas Raid", the New York Times reported on allegations made in an Israeli intelligence dossier about some UNRWA employees.[61] On January 29, in an article titled, "At Least 12 U.N. Agency Employees Involved in Oct. 7 Attacks, Intelligence Reports Say," the Wall Street Journal also reported on allegations made in the Israeli intelligence dossier about some UNRWA employees.[62] On January 30, Sky News also reviewed the Israeli intelligence report and reported on the allegations.[63]

On February 3, 2024, on the Al-Jazeera English current affairs programme The Listening Post, Palestinian rights lawyer Diana Buttu opined that the "problem with these types of allegations is that they adopt the Israeli narrative without questioning or second-guessing it."[64] Jeremy Scahill criticized the Wall Street Journal for publishing what he described as "unsubstantiated allegations."[65]

U.K. media disputing Israeli intelligence

On 30 January 2024, Sky News published a report on the Israeli dossier that had alleged staff involvement with Hamas. According to Sky, the report alleged that six UNRWA employees had been involved with the 7 October attacks, but that "the Israeli intelligence documents make several claims that Sky News has not seen proof of and many of the claims, even if true, do not directly implicate UNRWA."[66]

A page from the document obtained by the UK's Channel 4 News in Feb. 2024 that Israel provided to other governments, claiming that UNRWA employees were Hamas/PIJ operatives, but which did not detail any supporting evidence, if it exists.

On 5 February 2024, Channel 4 said that the six-page dossier contains no evidence to support Israel's claim other than a statement that "From intelligence information, documents and identity cards seized during the course of the fighting, it is now possible to flag around 190 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist operatives who serve as UNRWA employees. More than 10 UNRWA staffers took part in the events of October 7."[67]

On 3 February, the Financial Times stated that Israel's intelligence assessment was based on smartphone intercepts and captured identity cards, and concluded that it "provides no evidence for the claims".[68]

Footage

Israel released footage from October 7 showing a man identified as Faisal Ali Musalam Naami, an UNRWA worker, entering Kibbutz Beeri in a SUV shortly after 9:30 a.m. Naami alongside another person in the SUV is shown to lift and put the body of aמ Israeli into the trunk of his SUV before looting the belongings of dead Israelis.[69][70] Washington Post investigated the claims and confirmed that facial recognition is a match and requested two vehicle forensic experts to analyze Naami's social media photos and managed to capture partial views of a white vehicle which they identified as a 1993-1995 Nissan Terrano II identical to the vehicle used on October 7 in color, make and model and was from the same generation. On 16 October Naami, five of his children and one of his two wives were killed in an airstrike in Nuseirat. Washington Post's attempts to reach out Naami's relatives were unsuccessful. An UNRWA coworker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, claimed that he did not know if Naami was a member of Hamas or of his participation in October 7 attacks.[71]

Response from UNRWA and the United Nations

On 26 January 2024, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini stated, "The Israeli authorities have provided UNRWA with information about the alleged involvement of several UNRWA employees in the horrific attacks on Israel on October 7."[72] He further emphasized, "To protect the agency's ability to deliver humanitarian assistance, I have taken the decision to immediately terminate the contracts of these staff members and launch an investigation in order to establish the truth without delay", adding that "any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror" would be held accountable.[72]

Lazzarini refrained from disclosing the number of employees allegedly involved in the attacks or the nature of their alleged involvement.[72] The US State Department reported the figure to be 12.[73] António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, said on 28 January that accusations had been made against 12 specific employees, and that of those 12 nine had been fired, one was dead, and the identities of the other two were still being confirmed.[74][12]

Guterres also said he was "horrified by this news",[27] and called the alleged activities "criminal".[75] His spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric further stated that the UN chief had directed Lazzarini to lead an investigation to ensure swift termination and potential criminal prosecution of any UNRWA employee implicated in or aiding the 7 October attacks.[76] On 27 January, the deputy UN spokesperson stated, "UNRWA overall had had a strong record, which we have repeatedly underscored."[77]

In a further statement issued on 27 January, Lazzarini described the decision by nine countries to suspend the agency's funding as "shocking" and stated that both people's lives in Gaza and regional stability depended on that support;[78][79] he urged the nations to resume funding before UNRWA is "forced to suspend its humanitarian response".[80] According to a 28 January statement by Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, the decision to suspend funding could be a violation of the Genocide Convention, and "overtly defies" the provisional rulings in South Africa v. Israel.[81]

Chris Gunness, a former UNRWA chief spokesman, called on the Arab world, and in particular the oil-rich Gulf states, to fill the funding gap, saying that they are "making billions each day on oil revenues", and that a "tiny fraction" of that would resolve the funding shortfall.[82][b] A UNRWA spokesperson said that the funding suspensions would result in it being unable to continue aiding Gazans by the end of February.[84] on 29 February, the United Nations announced it still had not received any evidence from Israel to support its claims.[85]

In a statement issued on 4 March, a UNRWA spokeswoman alleged that staff members had conveyed to leadership that they had been coerced into making false confessions to Israeli officials after being tortured and given ill-treatment. The allegations of coerced confessions, are reportedly part of an unpublished report compiled by the UNRWA that alleges a widespread physical and psychological abuse perpetrated by Israeli's against detained Palestinians.[17] On 5 March, Philippe Lazzarini stated, "The campaign against UNRWA is intended to shift the longstanding political parameters for peace in the occupied Palestinian territory set by the General Assembly and the Security Council, without consulting either body."[86]

Reactions

Countries that have halted funding
  Major donors that have suspended funding
  Minor donors that have suspended funding
  Major donors that have not currently suspended funding

Table of funder reactions

2022 pledges[87] 2024 status
Country Amount (USD) % Funding freeze announcement Date of announced resumption, or funding increase
 United States 343,937,718 29% 26 Jan 2024
 Germany 202,054,285 17% 27 Jan 2024
 EU 114,199,150 10% No freeze[88] 1 March 2024
 Sweden 60,969,987 5% 30 Jan 2024 9 March 2024
 Norway 34,180,677 3% No freeze n/a
 Japan 30,152,202 3% 28 Jan 2024[89]
 France 28,909,838 2% No freeze[88] n/a
 Saudi Arabia 27,000,000 2% No freeze n/a
  Switzerland 25,534,028 2% No freeze[88] n/a
 Turkey 25,199,080 2% No freeze n/a
 Canada 23,713,560 2% 27 Jan 2024 8 March 2024
 Netherlands 21,189,038 2% 27 Jan 2024
 UK 21,158,281 2% 27 Jan 2024
 Italy 18,033,970 2% 27 Jan 2024
 Denmark 15,885,563 1% No freeze[88] n/a
 Australia 13,797,995 1% 27 Jan 2024
 Spain 13,592,803 1% No freeze (increased) 5 Feb 2024
 Belgium 12,558,653 1% No freeze n/a
 Kuwait 12,000,000 1% No freeze n/a
 Qatar 10,500,000 1% No freeze n/a
 Ireland 8,509,726 1% No freeze (increased) 15 Feb 2024
 Austria 8,091,406 1% 29 Jan 2024
 Finland 7,807,565 1% 27 Jan 2024
 Luxembourg 7,488,329 1% No freeze n/a
 Palestine 5,760,830 0% No freeze n/a
Other countries 82,422,588 7%
All 1,174,647,272 100%
Sum of frozen 805,349,873 65% 46%
Sum of unfrozen 286,874,811 28% 47%

International community

Matthew Miller, spokesperson of the US State Department, said that “The United States is extremely troubled by the allegations that twelve UNRWA employees may have been involved in the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.” He further stated that the Department of State has temporarily halted additional funding for UNRWA as it conducts a review of the allegations and evaluates the actions being taken by the United Nations to address them.[90] US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the evidence implicating some UNRWA staff members in the October 7 attack against Israel is "highly credible". He emphasized the organization's "indispensable" role as a major humanitarian service provider in the region, adding that it is "imperative that UNRWA immediately, as it said it would, investigate; that it hold people accountable as necessary; and that it review its procedures".[91] The United States later clarified that nearly all of the money that had been budgeted to UNRWA had already been sent, with the suspension affecting $300,000 of the 121 million US dollars that the US had budgeted for the UNRWA. The State Department also said they hoped the issue would be resolved quickly.[92]

Following a UN Security Council meeting on 30 January, US ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said: “There has to be accountability for anyone who participated in this attack on October 7." US officials say that funding will depend on a credible investigation and acknowledge that there is no real alternative to UNRWA. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said: "Let’s not impugn the good work of a whole agency because of the potential bad action here of a small number".[93][94][95][96][97] In February 2024, US president Joe Biden urged Congress to pass a bill which would ban the United States from funding UNRWA.[98]

Canada's Minister of International Development, Ahmed Hussen, announced that the Canadian government has temporarily halted additional funding to UNRWA pending investigation of the allegations. Hussen said he expressed Canada's deep concern directly to UNRWA Commissioner-General Lazzarini, adding that "Canada is taking these reports extremely seriously and is engaging closely with UNRWA and other donors on this issue". On 8 February, the Canadian government stated it had still not seen any evidence to support Israel's claims.[99] On 5 March, the Canadian government announced it would resume funding to UNRWA.[100]

Australia has declared a temporary suspension of its funding to UNRWA. Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong stated that Australia will align itself with similar actions taken by the US and Canada in halting funding. She expressed Australia's deep concern regarding the allegations.[101] Italy and Germany have also suspended funding to UNRWA.[18][102] The UK Foreign Office released a statement, saying that the UK was “appalled” by the allegations.[37]

Finland's Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Ville Tavio, has opted to suspend Finland's payments to UNRWA in light of the allegations. He stated: "We must make sure that not a single euro of Finland's money goes to Hamas or other terrorists. The suspicion that employees of an organisation receiving humanitarian assistance are involved in a terrorist attack is the reason for suspending the payments. The case must be investigated thoroughly."[103]

The Netherlands announced it will stop financing UNRWA, saying "We are extremely shocked. The accusation is that the attack was committed on October 7 with UN money, with our money."[104] On 28 January 2024, France's Foreign Ministry declared that it will "decide when the time comes" regarding its funding, describing the allegations as "exceptionally serious".[105][88]

On 29 January 2024, Austria announced it will also stop financing UNRWA, with the Austrian Foreign Ministry calling the UN agency "to conduct a comprehensive, swift and complete investigation into the allegations".[106]

On 29 January, New Zealand's foreign ministry announced it would review its annual NZ$1 million funding to UNRWA in response to the allegations.[107] On 30 January, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced that New Zealand would be suspending funding to UNRWA pending the investigation into the allegations.[108]

On 29 January, Latvia's Foreign Ministry announced via X (formerly Twitter) that the country has also suspended its funding to UNRWA.[109]

The European Union announced that it was reviewing funding, and did not expect to provide additional funding before the end of February at the earliest.[110] Josep Borrell, the European Union's High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said the European Commission would “assess further steps and draw lessons based on the result of the full and comprehensive investigation”, urging UNRWA to "provide full transparency on the allegations and to take immediate measures against staff involved".[111][18] On 1 March, the UN announced it was 50 million euros to UNRWA within the following week.[112]

Norway and Ireland announced that they would not suspend funding for UNRWA.[113] Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said that "UNRWA is a lifeline for millions of people in deep distress in Gaza as well as in the wider region."[114] Swiss officials said no decision would be taken until the “serious accusations” were clarified.[115] The Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated it supported UNRWA's swift investigation and that its "crucial work under the current dire circumstances must continue".[116] Lithuania's Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said that Lithuania has not yet reached the financial period for making funding decisions and is awaiting the investigation's results before taking any action.[117]

On January 30, Sweden also announced it would suspend funding for UNRWA. According to TT, Johan Forssell, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, said that “The money… will go instead to other humanitarian organizations".[118]

Criticism of cutting aid

Donor states have suspended funding at a time when the people of Gaza depend on critical aid from UNRWA for daily survival.[119][120][121][122]

UN

Michael Fakhri, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, said on X that a day after the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, "concluded that Israel is plausibly committing genocide in Gaza, some states decided to defund UNRWA for the alleged actions of a small number of employees. This collectively punishes +2.2 million Palestinians."[119]

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini stated: "Our humanitarian operation, on which 2 million people depend as a lifeline in Gaza, is collapsing. I am shocked such decisions are taken based on alleged behaviour of a few individuals and as the war continues, needs are deepening and famine looms. Palestinians in Gaza did not need this additional collective punishment."[123] In a letter signed with humanitarian organisation leaders, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths stated that defunding UNRWA would lead to the collapse of Gaza's aid system, adding: "The world cannot abandon the people of Gaza".[124] Former New Zealand PM and United Nations Development Programme administrator Helen Clark stated "this isn’t the time to suspend funding".[125]

An unpublished February 2024 UNRWA report detailing allegations of mistreatment in Israeli detention reviewed by Reuters said some employees released from detention alleged that they were pressured into giving false statements that UNRWA has Hamas links and that staff were involved in the Hamas attack on Israel.[126]

Humanitarian organizations

Agnès Callamard, the secretary general of Amnesty International, stated that the world's richest countries had made a "heartless decision ... to punish the most vulnerable population on earth because of the alleged crimes of 12 people".[19][20] Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, appealed to donors not to suspend funding to UNRWA and wrote that "cutting off funding will only hurt the people of Gaza who desperately need support".[127] Tedros warned suspending funding would have "catastrophic consequences".[128] Jan Egeland, the Norwegian Refugee Council head, called on donors to "not starve children for the sins of a few individual aid workers".[114] In a statement, Doctors Without Borders said, "In the Gaza Strip, the humanitarian crisis has reached catastrophic levels, and any additional limitations on aid will result in more deaths and suffering."[129]

European Union

On 29 January 2024, Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, told UN Secretary-General António Guterres that funding has not been suspended and the EU will determine funding decisions after the investigation.[130] Borrell stated, "We shouldn’t let allegations cloud UNRWA’s indispensable and great work."[131]

On 1 March 2024, the EU decided not to await the outcome of the UNRWA investigation, and instead put in place a €275 million funding package, being restoration of 2024 funding of €82 million, plus €125 million of humanitarian aid for Palestinians for 2024, which UNRWA is not excluded from implementing and another €68 million through international partners like the Red Cross and the Red Crescent. At the same time, the EU agreed with UNRWA reached an agreement with UNRWA on an audit to be made by EU appointed external experts.[132]

Spanish Foreign minister José Manuel Albares stated on 29 January 2024 that Spain "will not change our relationship with UNRWA, although we are closely following the internal investigation and the outcome it may yield for the actions of a dozen people out of about 30,000"[133] because the UNRWA is an agency "essential to alleviate the humanitarian situation".[134] The same day, Spanish Social Affairs minister Pablo Bustinduy called out the suspension of UNRWA funds by other western countries "an unjustifiable collective punishment of the Palestinian people".[135]

Middle East and West Asia

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement that "Suspending aid to UNRWA due to some allegations against a small number of its members will primarily harm the Palestinian people."[136]

Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi stated that the people of Gaza "shouldn't be collectively punished upon allegations against 12 persons out of its 13,000 staff. UNRWA acted responsibly and began an investigation. We urge countries that suspended funds to reverse [this] decision."[137]

The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it was deeply concerned by the cuts, since the people of Gaza "depend on critical aid from UNRWA for their daily survival".[138]

Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani stated that the entire organization and its tens of thousands of employees should not be punished due to the acts of a small group.[139]

Elsewhere

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin stated: "We call on the international community, especially major donors, to prioritize the lives of the people in Gaza, reconsider the decision to suspend funding, and continue to support the work of UNRWA."[140]

Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserted its confidence in the investigations by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services, and rejects the idea that national should freeze funding to UNRWA due to Israeli allegations, especially at a time of severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It noted that funding halts also undermine the fulfillment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to ensure humanitarian access to the people of Gaza. It noted the deaths of 152 UNRWA staff in Gaza thus far, and renewed its call for a cease-fire, the release of the remaining hostages, an economically viable Palestinian State to include the Gaza Strip and all of the West Bank including East Jerusalem as its capital.[141] A few weeks later, after Brazil's president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whom Ha'aretz called "anything but an antisemite", called Israeli actions in Gaza a genocide, Israel declared him persona non grata and both countries withdrew their ambassadors.[142]

Israel

Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz stated that "UNRWA will not be a part of the day after", referring to the future of Gaza following the Israel–Hamas war. He added that: "We have been warning for years: UNRWA perpetuates the refugee issue, obstructs peace, and serves as a civilian arm of Hamas in Gaza. UNRWA is not the solution – many of its employees are Hamas affiliates with murderous ideologies, aiding in terror activities and preserving its authority."[143]

Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, called on all donor states to suspend their support to UNRWA.[114]

On 31 January 2024, during a meeting with UN ambassadors in Jerusalem, Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu stated, "UNRWA is totally infiltrated with Hamas", and called for the replacement of UNRWA with other UN agencies and aid organizations.[144] On 4 February 2024, at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu stated: "We exposed to the world that UNRWA is collaborating with Hamas, that some of its people even participated in the atrocities and abductions of October 7. This only strengthens what we have known for along time — UNRWA is not part of the solution, it is part of the problem. The time has come to begin the process of replacing UNRWA with other bodies that are not tainted by support for terrorism".[145]

The New York Times reported 3 February that Israel did not expect the scandal to result in an international governmental reaction as Israel has long accused the UNRWA of bias and despite opposition to UNRWA some Israeli military officials did not want the UNRWA to be shuttered during a potential humanitarian crisis.[146] On 23 February 2024, a group of Israel humanitarian organizations — including Doctors for Human Rights, B'Tselem, Breaking the Silence, Gisha, City of Nations, Checkpoint Watch, and Fighters for Peace — called on donors to restore UNRWA funding.[147]

Palestinian response

Palestinian Authority

The Palestine Liberation Organization's Secretary-General Hussein al-Sheikh urged countries planning to withdraw funding from UNRWA to reconsider their decision due to significant political and humanitarian concerns.[148]

Hamas

Hamas's press office stated via Telegram that the group implored the UN and international organizations "to not cave in to the threats and blackmail" from Israel,[27] and accused what they called "the Zionist entity" of a "campaign of incitement" against UN agencies delivering aid to Gaza.[113][149]

Media analysis

In an article published on 30 January, The Economist concluded: "It is hardly surprising that some members of an organisation that has been embedded in Gaza so deeply and for so long have links to Hamas. But that defence of UNRWA in turn raises difficult questions about whether it is sufficiently neutral, transparent and accountable. UNRWA is probably essential in the short term in order to avoid an even deeper humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Whether it should be an essential part of Gaza's long term future is far less clear".[150]

The Intercept suggested that the timing of the resulting controversy was intended to distract media attention from the International Court of Justice ruling of provisional measures against Israel, issued on the same day.[151]

An analysis in Haaretz stated that UNRWA is "riddled with Hamas", but called the freezing of funds an empty gesture, as foreign governments already knew of the situation. They suggest that just as Israel continues to work with UNRWA, foreign governments will restore funding out of necessity.[152]

See also

References

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  149. ^ "Palestinians, Hamas rage online after countries vow to cut UNRWA funding". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 28 January 2024. Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  150. ^ "Is UNRWA complicit or unlucky?". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Archived from the original on 30 January 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  151. ^ Scahill, Jeremy (7 February 2024). "Israel's Ruthless Propaganda Campaign to Dehumanize Palestinians". The Intercept. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024. This was a transparent attempt by Israel to distract from the rulings in the ICJ genocide case and to obliterate a U.N. agency that Israel has long viewedOpens in a new tabas an impediment to its goal of denying Palestinians the right to return to the homes and territory from which Israel expelled them.
  152. ^ "UNRWA Is Riddled With Hamas. But Israel Has No Alternative". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2024.

Notes

  1. ^ On 9 February 2024, Lazzarrini stated the employees had been fired without any evidence, stating, "Indeed, I have terminated without due process".[7]
  2. ^ Gunness additionally called the situation a "coordinated political attack" on UNRWA by Israel, stating, "The Israelis have said they cannot win the war on Gaza unless UNRWA is disbanded. So what clearer signal do you want?"[83]
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