UN Lays Off More Staff From Palestinian Refugee Agency Amid Allegations Of Involvement In Oct 7 Hamas Attack On Israel

In a recent development, the United Nations (UN) has terminated more employees from its agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. This decision comes in the wake of an internal investigation into their suspected involvement in a Hamas-led attack against Israel on Oct. 7.

What Happened: The UN’s deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq, did not disclose specifics about the UNRWA staffers’ potential role in the attack or the evidence that prompted the decision. Previously, the UN had dismissed 12 staffers and put seven on unpaid administrative leave over similar allegations, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday.

The UN’s internal watchdog has been scrutinizing the agency since Israel accused 12 UNRWA staffers of involvement in the attack, which led to the death of 1,200 people and the abduction of around 250 others. These allegations initially resulted in the suspension of funding from top donor countries, leading to a financial crisis of approximately $450 million. All donor countries, except the US, have since resumed funding.

Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reiterated Israel’s call for donor countries to suspend funding, citing concerns that the funds may be used by “terrorist elements.”

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The Office of Internal Oversight Services, the UN watchdog investigating UNRWA, stated it found sufficient evidence indicating nine employees’ potential involvement in the October 7 attack. The agency’s head, Philippe Lazzarini, confirmed the dismissal of these nine staff members.

Why It Matters: This development follows a series of events that have strained the relationship between the UN, Israel, and Hamas. In June, the UN added both Israel's military and Hamas to a global list of offenders for committing violations against children.

In July, Israel and the UN discussed implementing Elon Musk‘s SpaceX Starlink satellite communications system in Gaza to enhance security for United Nations aid workers, in response to escalating security risks.

In August, Israel confirmed the death of Mohammed Deif, the second-in-command of Hamas, in a strike in Gaza. Deif had become a prime target for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following Hamas' incursion into southern Israel on Oct. 7.

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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari