The refugee organization UNRWA terminated the contracts of a number of its employees after Israel informed the organization that these people may have been involved in the Hamas attacks on October 7.
“The Israeli authorities have provided us with information about the alleged involvement of a number of UNRWA employees in the horrific attacks on Israel on 7 October,” said Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
“To protect the organization’s ability to provide humanitarian assistance, I have made the decision to immediately terminate the contracts of these employees and launch an investigation to uncover the truth as quickly as possible.”
Lazzarini did not comment on the number of employees and how they might be involved in the attack on Israel on October 7.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was shocked by this news, according to his spokesman. The Secretary-General is said to have requested an investigation. If the investigation shows that people were involved or even complicit, he also wants to conduct a criminal investigation.
The United States, Germany, and the European Union were the largest donors to UNRWA in 2022. The United States has In a comment It announced that it would suspend additional funding until more is clear about the allegations. In its response, the state spoke about twelve suspected employees.
Minister Geoffrey Van Leeuwen (Development Cooperation) also says he is shocked. He welcomes the fact that UNRWA has launched an investigation and expelled the suspected staff. Depending on the investigation, the minister will consider future contributions to the UN, he says in X. Last month, the Netherlands provided an additional €10 million to UNRWA.
Wat doet de UNRWA?
De UNRWA is in 1949 opgericht, na de eerste Arabisch-Israëlische oorlog. De organisatie levert diensten zoals onderwijs, basisgezondheidszorg en humanitaire hulp aan Palestijnen in Gaza, de Westelijke Jordaanoever, Jordanië, Syrië en Libanon.
Tijdens de huidige oorlog biedt de UNRWA onder meer hulp en bescherming aan mensen die op de vlucht zijn.
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