Israel has asserted that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is deemed to be "totally infiltrated" by Hamas, and Israel is advocating for its replacement by another aid agency. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conveyed this message during a meeting with UN ambassadors in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
According to the statement from the Israel Prime Minister's Office, Israel informed the UN and funding countries that 12 UNRWA staff members were directly involved in the October 7 attack, where Hamas militants entered Israel, resulting in casualties and hostages. The report presented to the UN specified that among these staff members, seven were UNRWA teachers, two were educational consultants, and others held administrative roles within the agency.
Responding to Israel's allegations, UNRWA stressed the importance of conducting an independent investigation into the involvement of its employees in the October 7 Hamas attack. Netanyahu, addressing the UN ambassadors, expressed regret, stating that UNRWA had been serving Hamas in its schools and other capacities. He emphasized the need for an objective and constructive aid body in Gaza, asserting that UNRWA did not fulfill that role.
Israel's dossier further detailed accusations against UNRWA staff, including an elementary school teacher allegedly serving as a Hamas commander, a teacher armed with an anti-tank missile, and a social worker implicated in the kidnapping of a soldier's body during the October 7 incident.
(With Agency Inputs)
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