The refugee organization UNRWA terminated the contracts of a number of its employees after Israel informed the organization of the possible involvement of these people in the Hamas attacks on October 7.
“The Israeli authorities have provided us with information about the alleged involvement of a number of UNRWA employees in the horrific attacks on Israel on 7 October,” said Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
“To protect the organization’s ability to provide humanitarian assistance, I have made the decision to immediately terminate the contracts of these employees and launch an investigation to uncover the truth as quickly as possible.”
Lazzarini did not comment on the number of employees and how they might be involved in the attack on Israel on October 7.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres was shocked by this news, according to his spokesman. The Secretary-General is said to have requested an investigation. If the investigation shows that people were involved or even complicit, he also wants to conduct a criminal investigation.
Wat doet de UNRWA?
De UNRWA is in 1949 opgericht, na de eerste Arabisch-Israëlische oorlog. De organisatie levert diensten zoals onderwijs, basisgezondheidszorg en humanitaire hulp aan Palestijnen in Gaza, de Westelijke Jordaanoever, Jordanië, Syrië en Libanon.
Tijdens de huidige oorlog biedt de UNRWA onder meer hulp en bescherming aan mensen die op de vlucht zijn.
The United States, Germany and the European Union were the largest donors to UNRWA in 2022. The United States responded by saying that it would suspend additional funding until more became clear about the allegations. In its response, the state spoke about twelve suspected employees.
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Video Overlevende Hamas-aanval keert terug naar haar verwoeste dorp in Israël
