A United Nations investigation has found that nine employees from the UN’s main agency for Palestinian humanitarian relief, UNRWA, “may have” been involved in the October 7 attack and are no longer with the agency.
UNRWA, which employs 14,000 staff members in Gaza, initiated the investigation in January following accusations by Israel that some employees participated in the attack that resulted in 1,200 deaths in Israel. While investigators could not interview the accused, some responded to written questions.
Nine employees were dismissed in January following Israel’s allegations, with additional terminations occurring after further claims emerged in the spring, according to Juliette Touma, a spokesperson for UNRWA.
The UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) examined 19 employees accused by Israel. OIOS found that the evidence indicated that nine employees might have been involved in the October 7 attack. For nine other cases, evidence was deemed insufficient for dismissal but will be reviewed for appropriate action. No evidence was found against one staff member.
In response to the findings, Nadav Shoshani, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, criticized UNRWA, stating: “9 of your employees might have participated in the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.”
UNRWA, established in 1949 following the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and the displacement of Palestinians, provides aid and services to Palestinian refugees and their descendants. It employs over 30,000 people across the Middle East.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to providing critical services and upholding humanitarian principles, including neutrality.
The Israeli government did not share its evidence with UNRWA, but provided details to US officials and released some information about the accused employees, including names and photos. Although some donor countries withdrew their funding, many have resumed support, except the United States.
OIOS investigators reviewed Israeli intelligence and UNRWA employees’ communications, but did not meet with the accused due to safety concerns. Some accused employees provided recorded statements in response to set questions.