NYT: U.N. Employees May Have Been Involved In Hamas Attack On Israel

• 27.01.2024, 9:06

After this, the United States suspended funding for the Middle East Agency.

The United Nations (UN) has launched an investigation into 12 of its employees accused of involvement in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. The New York Times wrote about this on January 26.

The UN fired 12 people after Israel said they helped plan and participated in the October 7 terrorist attack that left about 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 240 captured.

Two UN officials said they were employees of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said the agency “strongly condemns” the Hamas attack.

“Any UNRWA employee involved in terrorist acts will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution,” Lazarini said.

Three Israeli Defense Ministry officials said that since October 7, military intelligence has collected a large amount of data that they assess confirms UNRWA's involvement in the attack.

Israel's accusations led to the suspension of US funding for UNRWA. The US State Department said it was “extremely concerned” by allegations that 12 agency officials may have been involved in the Hamas attack on Israel.

As journalists note, earlier in Jerusalem they had already accused UNRWA employees of collaborating with Hamas members, and also stated that UNRWA teachers were calling on schoolchildren to hate Israel.

Amid these statements, the Trump administration suspended funding for the organization, but the Biden administration later restored it.