Tel Aviv: Israel Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that his country would seek removal of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Near East (UNRWA ) after the alleged involvement of several of its staff members in the Hamas October 7 attack on southern Israel had come out in the open.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Intelligence Agency, Shin Bet has given clear proof to the United Nations and member nations of the direct involvement of 12 of UNRWA staff members in the October 7 attack.
In a social media post on Saturday, the Israel foreign minister said that his country aims to ensure “that UNRWA will not be a part of the day after,” meaning the day after the war ends.
Katz added that he would try to gather support for the move from the US, European Union and other major donors to the agency, several of whom have suspended funding in the wake of the revelations.
The Israel foreign minister further said: “We have been warning for years: UNRWA perpetuates the refugee issue, obstructs peace, and serves as a civilian arm of Hamas in Gaza.”
He also said: “UNRWA was not the solution and added that many of its employees were Hamas affiliates with murderous ideologies, aiding in terror activities and preserving its authority.”
The Israel foreign minister also demanded the UN to take take immediate personal actions against the UNRWA leadership.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarani in a statement on Saturday said that the agency had fired several staffers accused of involvement with Hamas. He added that the decision was taken to protect the agency’s ability to deliver humanitarian assistance.
Lazzarani also said: “Any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution.”
The UNRWA chief also said that Israeli authorities had provided information about the staff members’ alleged involvement.
Meanwhile, the spokesman of UN chief Antonio Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, in a statement said that the UN chief was “horrified” by the accusations and an urgent and comprehensive independent review of UNRWA will be conducted.
(IANS)
