Investigation reveals that 12 UNRWA workers in Gaza went against their humanitarian call of duty to join HAMAS and attack Israel on October 7.
By Israel Okah
The Israeli Intelligence may have failed to preempt October 7 but their work thereafter has been thorough. They have been able to provide actionable evidence to the United Nations that 12 workers of the United Nations Agency for Palestine Reguees, UNRWA, took part in the October 7 HAMAS attack on Israel.
That was clearly against their terms of reference and because of that United States and other allies of Israel are suspending funding for the organisation.
In its initial reaction, the agency suspended nine out the 12; while three others are said to be under investigation.
The Agency’s representative in Lebanon, Dorothee Klaus, said February 6 that it expects its preliminary report into the Israeli allegations to be ready early March.
She told reporters in Lebanon that the agency expects donors who suspended their funding after the claims emerged to review their decisions based on the probe.
Of the 12 UNRWA workers accused of participating in the October 7 massacre, seven were reportedly teachers, two were educational consultants and others were humanitarian aid warehouse managers.
One of the 12 suspects was an UNRWA teacher accused of being armed with an anti-tank missile, while another teacher was accused of filming a hostage being taken captive during the onslaught.
Another elementary school teacher staff, allegedly served as a Hamas commander and participated in the massacre in Kibbutz Be’eri, while a man employed by UNRWA as a social worker was allegedly involved in the kidnapping of an IDF soldier’s body on October 7.
It’s suspected that HAMAS got their members employed by the agency.
Philippe Lazzarini lamented the withdrawals and the expected consequences.
“UNRWA lifesaving assistance is about to end following countries decisions to cut their funding to the Agency.
Our humanitarian operation, on which two million people depend as a lifeline in Gaza, is collapsing. I am shocked such decisions are taken based on alleged behavior 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. This stains all of us.”
The suspension of funding started with the US, after the investigation was announced. This was rapidly followed by Canada, Australia, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, Estonia, Japan, Austria and Romania.
Meanwhile, some countries are still being cautious. The French foreign ministry announced that France has not planned a new payment to fund UNRWA in the first quarter of 2024, but would decide when the time comes what action to take in conjunction with the United Nations and its main donors.
The European Union,EU, announced that it would review whether it could continue to fund UNRWA in light of the allegations.
The EU’s executive arm, the European Commission announced that the body does not foresee any additional funding for the organisation until the end of February.
Be that as it may, Ireland and Norway, however, expressed continued support for UNRWA, saying the agency does crucial work to help Palestinians displaced and in desperate need of assistance in Gaza.
“We need to distinguish between what individuals may have done, and what UNRWA stands for,” a statement by Norway’s government said, arguing that the organisation’s tens of thousands of employees in Gaza, the West Bank, and the region play a “crucial role” in distributing aid, saving lives, and safeguarding basic needs and rights.
Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin wrote on X: “Ireland has no plans to suspend funding for UNRWA’s vital Gaza work.”
Spanish daily, El País, reported that Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said Spain would continue funding UNRWA.
He argued that the accused are 12 individuals out of a total of around 30,000 UNRWA employees.
