GENEVA: The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said on Friday it had opened an investigation into several employees suspected of involvement in the Oct 7 attacks in Israel and that it had severed ties with those staff members.

“The Israeli authorities have provided UNRWA with information about the alleged involvement of several UNRWA employees in the horrific attacks on Israel on Oct 7,” said Philippe Lazzarini, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s Commissioner General.

“To protect the agency’s ability to deliver humanitarian assistance, I have taken the decision to immediately terminate the contracts of these staff members and launch an investigation in order to establish the truth without delay.”

Lazzarini did not disclose the number of employees allegedly involved in the attacks, nor the nature of their alleged involvement. He said, however, that “any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror” would be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution. Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy accused the UN agency of announcing the news while the world’s attention was focused on the World Court ordering Israel to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians and do more to help civilians in Gaza.

“Any other day, this would have been a major headline: Israel submits evidence of UN employees’ complicity with Hamas,” Levy wrote on X.

Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, has been briefed about the allegations, his spokesperson said.

“The Secretary General is horrified by this news,” said spokesperson Stphane Dujarric.

Dujarric added that the UN chief had asked Lazzarini to conduct a probe to ensure that any UNRWA employee shown to have participated or abetted the Oct 7 attacks be terminated immediately and referred for potential criminal prosecution.

“An urgent and comprehensive independent review of UNRWA will be conducted,” Dujarric added.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2024