‘The evidence—if authenticated and corroborated—could indicate that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the attacks,’ said the UNRWA chief.
An internal United Nations (U.N.) investigation has found that nine employees of one its agencies may have been involved in the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and will be fired.
The Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), a U.N. watchdog, launched an investigation earlier this year into allegations that 19 staff members of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refuge in the Near East (UNRWA) in Gaza participated in the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel.
The watchdog has now concluded its probe, according to an Aug. 5 statement by UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, who said one of the accused was completely cleared of any involvement in the attacks, while there was insufficient evidence to support allegations against nine others.
“For the remaining nine cases, the evidence—if authenticated and corroborated—could indicate that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the attacks of 7 October,” Lazzarini said, adding that they’ll be fired.
“I have decided that in the case of these remaining nine staff members, they cannot work for UNRWA,” he said. “All contracts of these staff members will be terminated in the interest of the Agency.”
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in February publicly revealed the identities of 12 UNRWA staff members who he said “actively participated” in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks.
Gallant alleged that at least 12 percent of the 13,000 or so UNRWA employees in Gaza had links to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, both designated by Israel and the United States as terror groups.
In subsequent months, several more UNRWA employees were accused of involvement in the attacks, bringing the total to 19.
“Additional allegations were brought to our attention in March and April and the concerned staff were added to the OIOS investigation,” Lazzarini said in his Aug. 5 statement, in which he announced the results of the probe and reiterated “UNRWA’s condemnation of the 7 October attack in the strongest possible terms.”
“I call—once again—for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and their safe return to their families,” he said.
It’s unclear how many Israeli hostages are still held by Hamas.
On Oct. 7, thousands of Hamas terrorists poured into Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage. Israel retaliated with a military campaign in Gaza with the stated goal of wiping out Hamas.
In November 2023, Hamas released 105 civilian hostages in exchange for a temporary ceasefire and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli custody.
In June 2024, the Israeli government said that 120 hostages remained in captivity, 43 of whom had been declared dead in absentia, based on various types of information, such as forensic analysis, CCTV footage, bystander videos, and intelligence tip-offs.
Israel has long maintained that Hamas has used UNRWA-operated schools and health facilities in Gaza to shield its terror operations.
UNRWA was established in 1949 to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees.
Its area of operations includes the Gaza Strip, where Israel continues its military campaign to neutralize Hamas, whose operatives use the area to stage attacks against Israel.