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A building in Khan Yunis, used by the UN agency Unrwa for vocational training, on fire. During the Gaza war, refugees have sought shelter in the house and now it has been hit by Israeli artillery fire. The picture was taken last week.
1 / 2Photo: Ramaz Habboub/AP/TT
The storm surrounding the refugee agency Unrwa means that more and more countries are cutting off their aid to the organization. The accusations concern UN employees who were active in terrorist-labeled Hamas. But in what way? And how has Israel concluded?
Here is the background.
What has happened?
On Friday, Israel brought forward suspicions that employees of the UN agency Unrwa were involved in the October 7 Hamas terror attack that started the ongoing Gaza war. Unrwa has dismissed a number of people and launched its own review. A large number of countries – among them the US, France and the UK – have withdrawn their aid to the body. Sweden has not yet made a decision to suspend or continue the support.
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What exactly are the UN employees accused of?
According to Israel, twelve UNRWA employees participated in the terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7, when nearly 1,200 people died and around 240 were taken hostage. One is accused of kidnapping a woman, another of participating in a massacre at a kibbutz and a third allegedly distributing ammunition, according to documents shared by Israel’s military with the United States, The New York Times reports.
Add to that that about 1,300 UNRWA employees, about ten percent of that workforce, are estimated to be Hamas members. Membership does not automatically mean that one is in the military branch, but Hamas membership is prohibited for UNRWA employees.
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How has Israel come to this?
The conclusions are drawn, among other things, after Israel cross-checked Unrwa’s personnel lists with a register of Hamas members that the military found on a computer during an operation inside Gaza.
Regarding the events of October 7, Israel has tracked a number of Unrwa employees inside Israel thanks to their phones. Others have been wiretapped discussing their participation in the attack. Some of them were teachers at Unrwa’s schools, others worked in the organization’s offices or warehouses.
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How does the UN react?
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is “appalled” by the accusations, but underlines the importance of UNRWA’s work continuing. The agency is the largest employer in the region and crucial for many Gazans’ access to food, medicine and education.
At first it was said that twelve Unrwa employees had been dismissed, but a few days later it was announced that nine had been let go. At least two of the others have lost their lives and investigations are ongoing, according to The New York Times.
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And Israel?
Right now, Israeli officials are debating whether it was wise to make the allegations public. This is because they fear that Israel’s military will be forced to distribute food and emergency aid, something they do not want to do in war-torn Gaza, if Unrwa disappears.
FACTS Facts. UN agency UNRWA
The UN agency UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, was founded after the war that broke out in connection with the creation of Israel in 1948, with the aim of helping the more than 750,000 Palestinians who were forced to flee.
Today, UNRWA helps around 5.9 million Palestinian refugees. Close to 90 percent of donations come from UN member countries. The USA, Germany, the EU, Sweden and Norway have given the greatest support.
Over half of Unrwa’s budget goes to school education. Around 15 percent goes to health promotion measures, according to figures from 2020.
The UN agency has around 30,000 employees, of which 13,000 are in Gaza. A majority are locally employed Palestinians.
Source: Unrwa, The New York Times and others
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