The UN said Monday that nine of the 19 employees of its Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) who were being investigated following Israeli accusations of collusion with Hamas “may” have been involved in the attacks of October 7, 2023.
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The Department of Internal Affairs (OIOS), which was in charge of the investigation, concluded that in nine cases the evidence at its disposal “indicates that UNRWA employees may have been involved in armed attacks” by Hamas, according to UN spokesman Farhan Haq.
The spokesman said the conclusion, which refers to a probability, was due to the fact that OIOS “has not been able to independently authenticate the information provided to it and which was in the hands of the Israeli authorities” regarding the evidence against UNRWA employees.
The evidence supporting the allegations against the nine staff members “could, if authenticated and corroborated, provide a factual basis for concluding that UNRWA staff members may have engaged in conduct punishable under UNRWA regulations and rules,” he said.
In a statement to the press, OIOS reported that in one of the 19 cases, the agency did not obtain evidence to support allegations of involvement in the attacks, and in nine others, the evidence obtained was “insufficient” to do so; all 10 face possible disciplinary “measures” “in due course.”
“With regard to the remaining nine cases, evidence obtained by OIOS indicates that UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the armed attacks of 7 October 2023. The employment of these individuals will be terminated in the interest of the agency,” it said.
OIOS explained that it has “restricted its findings to evidence, obtained predominantly from Israeli officials, supporting the subjects’ alleged involvement in the attacks (…) and has not drawn conclusions about their alleged membership in the military wing of Hamas or any other militant group.”
The investigative body stressed that the UN has no criminal jurisdiction over its employees and that the investigation was administrative, with disciplinary sanctions being the tool to respond to any misconduct, violations of the organization and administrative law.
He also revealed that the investigation report was delivered on July 31 directly to Secretary-General António Guterres, including a summary of the findings and conclusions to assist him in “action” on the 19 named employees, and that it “will not be made public.”
The nine cases in question, all men, spokesman Haq said, have been “referred for a decision” on possible sanctions.
He also clarified that of the 19 named employees, one has died and the UN does not believe the rest are in Israeli custody.
For the purpose of the investigation, OIOS has conducted visits to Israel to “receive and review” information in its custody, and to Amman, Jordan, to do the same with information in UNRWA custody, as well as reviewing data from UNRWA mail, vehicles, data published in the media and communications with member states.
However, OIOS notes in its note that it “did not meet with the UNRWA personnel named or potential witnesses for corroboration, to conduct interviews or take statements,” although it did obtain recordings in which some of them answered questions about the allegations.
Israel accused 12 UNRWA agents of involvement in Hamas attacks in January – a figure that rose to 19 in April – and many donors suspended funding for the agency, a decision that has since been reversed by all but Israel’s staunch ally the United States.
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