For weeks Israel claims that the staff ofUnrwa played a role in the attacks of Hamas of October 7th. But this time the accusations must be supported by detailed evidenceas they led to the firing of 12 agency members UN for Palestinian refugees, as well as triggering a harsh reaction from the leaders of the glass palacebut also of Washington And Brussels.
«The Israeli authorities have provided information on the alleged involvement of several employees in the terrible attacks on October 7. To protect the agency’s ability to provide humanitarian assistance, I have taken the decision to immediately terminate the contracts of these individuals and launch an investigation to establish the truth without delay,” announced the UNRWA Commissioner General. Philippe Lazzarinireiterating the condemnation of Hamas attacks and speaking of “shocking accusations».
Lazzarini did not reveal the number of members affected by the accusations, nor the nature of this alleged involvement, but assured that “any employee involved in acts of terrorism will be held responsible, including through criminal proceedings”.
«The Italian government suspended funding for UNRWA after the atrocious attack by Hamas against Israel on 7 October. Allied countries have recently made the same decision. We are committed to humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian population, protecting Israel’s security.” This was announced by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
While the general secretary Antonio Guterres he said he was “horrified by the news”. In a statement from the spokesperson “he asked Lazzarini to swiftly investigate the matter and ensure that any UNRWA employee who participated in or facilitated the attacks is immediately dismissed and referred for potential criminal prosecution.” The news about the agency United Nationswhich has around 13,000 Palestinian employees in the Gaza Strip, comes as relations between the UN and Israel are at their lowest levels, with the Jewish State having on several occasions harshly attacked the glass palace and its agencies.
And the same Secretary General Guterres who, while condemning the Hamas massacres without appeal, at the same time pointed the finger at Tel Aviv for the “collective punishment” of the Palestinians and the refusal of the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the two-state solution. Meanwhile, also the USA they said they were concerned by the allegations at UNRWA, and the US State Department announced that it had “temporarily suspended additional funding to the agency while it reviews these reports and the measures the United Nations is taking to address them.”
The spokesperson Matthew Miller explained that the Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Guterres to highlight the need for a thorough and rapid investigation into the matter. Then he wanted to underline that UNRWA «plays a fundamental role in providing life-saving assistance to Palestinians: their work has saved lives and it is important that the agency addresses these allegations and takes all appropriate corrective measures, including the review of policies and existing procedures”. Also Brusselsthrough the EU Commission and theHigh Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrellhe expressed “extreme concern” for the accusations, reiterating «his strongest condemnation of the attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israel, which have no justification».
«UNRWA has played a fundamental role in supporting vulnerable Palestinian refugees in accessing vital services for many years and is a crucial partner of the international community, including the EU – reads the statement -. We are in contact with UNRWA and expect it to provide full transparency on the allegations and take immediate action against the personnel involved.”
IsraelFor his part, he once again lashed out against the UN agency. The government spokesperson Eylon Levy accused UNRWA of purposely announcing the news while world attention was focused on International Court of Justice: «Any other day – he wrote in X – this would have been an important headline, evidence of the complicity of UN employees with Hamas».