The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) dismissed 70 employees in Gaza. This action follows longstanding allegations from Israeli authorities regarding the agency’s ties with the Hamas group.
“Today, the Commissioner-General ad interim of UNRWA, Christian Saunders, decided to terminate the employment of 70 UNRWA staff members in Gaza with immediate effect,” UNRWA stated. The agency emphasized this decision is not an admission of guilt. It is a safety measure for both the refugees and UNRWA’s staff.
UNRWA has repeatedly requested Israeli authorities to provide evidence supporting the claims against individual staff members. However, they report receiving no response.
Following a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) investigation, more than 100 UNRWA employees faced suspension or dismissal. The investigation revealed several UNRWA employees were implicated in Hamas’ civil and military activities. Examples include a deputy school principal involved in military operations and a teacher serving as a sniper for Hamas.
Israeli authorities have consistently accused UNRWA of direct involvement with Hamas. According to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), evidence shows that Hamas has exploited UNRWA’s infrastructure and involved employees in terrorism. They estimate that 12% of UNRWA’s Gaza staff are members of terrorist organizations.
UNRWA rejects accusations of collaboration but acknowledges the need to engage with Hamas for aid distribution in Gaza. The agency underlines the lack of police or intelligence capacities, relying on cooperation with Member States, including Israel, to maintain neutrality.
UNRWA’s Office of Internal Oversight Services investigated 19 employees for alleged participation in the events of October 7. Twelve employees were terminated, with one case dismissed due to insufficient evidence. The remaining cases are still under investigation.
President Trump’s administration had considered imposing terrorism-related sanctions on UNRWA. Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to UNRWA as aligned with Hamas.
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