U.N. Agency for Palestinians Discloses Involvement of Employees in October 7 Attack; U.S. Pauses Funding

The U.N.’s agency for Palestinians said that it fired several employees after receiving information from Israel showing that they had taken part in the October 7 terrorist attacks. The State Department indicated that twelve U.N. employees allegedly took part in the attacks and announced that it had temporarily paused funding for the agency while it reviews the situation.

The U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) delivers aid to Palestinians across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. The U.S. is UNRWA’s largest donor, providing $343 million of its budget in 2022.

In a statement Friday morning, UNRWA commissioner general Philippe Lazzarini disclosed that Israel had presented his agency with evidence of its employees’ involvement in Hamas’s massacre of Israelis.

“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. Any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution,” he said.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement that Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with U.N. chief Antonio Guterres yesterday to urge an investigation into the matter. Miller also said that State welcomes pledges by Guterres and the U.N. to investigate the matter. “There must be complete accountability for anyone who participated in the heinous attacks of October 7.

The Trump administration cut off all funding to UNRWA in 2018, saying that the U.S. shoulders a disproportionate share of its budget. Blinken resumed funding to UNRWA three years later, pledging that the U.S. would seek reforms to the organization.

On Friday, Miller reiterated that Washington views UNRWA as a useful partner. He said that UNRWA “plays a critical role in providing lifesaving assistance to Palestinians,” and that “it is important that UNRWA address these allegations and take any appropriate corrective measures, including reviewing its existing policies and procedures.”

For years, watchdogs and critics have pointed to UNRWA’s involvement in distributing materials that glorify terrorism, and evidence that Hamas has used schools and other facilities it operates for military purposes.

But UNRWA has denied previous allegations of its employees’ alleged role in or support of October 7, launching fierce political attacks against those reporters and watchdogs.

In December, Israeli reporter Almog Boker reported that one of the Israelis released by Hamas in the temporary cease-fire deal was held by an UNRWA teacher. After he posted about the hostage’s allegation on social media, UNRWA issued a statement blasting his decision to spread an “unsubstantiated claim” and asking him to take down the post. “Making serious allegations in the public domain, unsupported by any evidence or verifiable facts in support thereof may amount to misinformation,” it said.

The U.N. has also taken a combative stance against research produced by U.N. Watch, a non-governmental watchdog group. In recent months, U.N. Watch reports have presented evidence that numerous UNRWA staffers endorsed jihadism in general and the October 7 attack specifically. Lazzarini seemed to refer to these reports in a November speech, telling Arab leaders that they must “firmly defend the agency against false and insidious claims.”