Israel increased its criticism of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees on Monday, claiming that 450 of its employees were members of militant groups in the Gaza Strip. However, no evidence was provided to support this accusation.
Several major international funders have suspended funding to the agency, UNRWA, following accusations by Israel that 12 of its employees were involved in the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7.
Israel: 450 UNNRWA Workers Are Terrorists
The attacks resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the hostage situation of around 250 others in Gaza, as reported by Israeli authorities. Pramila Patten, the UN envoy addressing sexual violence in conflict, stated on Monday that there were sufficient reasons to believe that Hamas had carried out rape, sexualized torture, and other forms of cruel and inhuman treatment of women during the attack.
An attack led to an Israeli incursion into the enclave of 2.3 million individuals, resulting in the deaths of over 30,000 Palestinians according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Aid organizations report that the conflict has led to the displacement of the majority of the region's residents and triggered a humanitarian crisis.
UNRWA, with approximately 13,000 employees in Gaza, is the largest aid provider in the enclave. Monday's allegations marked a notable increase in the accusations against the agency. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, Israel's chief military spokesperson, did not provide names or other evidence to support the significantly higher number of UNRWA employees it claimed were militants.
In a recent statement, UNRWA accused Israel of detaining multiple staff members and coercing them into providing false confessions through torture and mistreatment. The confessions were allegedly related to the connections between the agency, Hamas, and the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
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Following Israel's initial accusation against UNRWA, the agency terminated the employees in question, leading to over a dozen countries halting funding totaling approximately $450 million, nearly half of its annual budget. Juliette Touma, director of communications for UNRWA, refrained from providing a direct response to the new Israeli allegations.
"UNRWA encourages any organization with information on the allegations against UNRWA staff to share it with the current UN investigation," she stated.
There were already two ongoing UN investigations into Israel's claims when the EU announced on Friday that it would provide $54 million to UNRWA. This funding comes after the agency agreed to allow experts appointed by the EU to review its procedures for identifying extremists among its staff.
Hagari also shared a recording of a call he claimed was of a UNRWA teacher discussing his involvement in the Oct. 7 attack.
"We have female captives. I caught one," the man's voice said in Arabic. During a second call, a man, who Israel also claimed was a UNRWA teacher, allegedly affiliated with Islamic Jihad, is heard stating, "I'm inside with the Jews."
The military disclosed the identities of the men, even though the man in the initial call introduced himself using a different name in the recording. According to military sources, the name in question might have been a nickname. No evidence was provided by the military regarding their employment with UNRWA.
Amidst Benny Gantz's meeting with US officials in Washington, accusations surfaced as talks were ongoing in Egypt to facilitate a cease-fire in Gaza ahead of the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
UNRWA stated that it welcomed all information that could be included in an independent UN investigation currently in progress. Palestinian leaders have alleged that Israel is targeting UNRWA politically and are demanding the restoration of its funding.
Israel has committed to persist with its aggressive campaign until it eradicates Hamas and ensures the safe return of more than 100 Israeli captives in Gaza, according to Reuters.
