10% of UNRWA employees linked to terrorist organizations: Report
Hamas (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images)
Roughly 10 percent of staffers with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the international body’s aid group for Palestinian refugees, have ties to terrorist groups, according to a Monday Wall Street Journal report.
About 1,200 employees, 10 percent of the agency’s 12,000 Gazan workers, are linked to Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Journal reported, citing Israeli intelligence reports the Jewish state shared with American officials. The intelligence found that 49 percent of UNRWA staffers had close relatives with official ties to the groups, and 23 percent of male UNRWA employees had ties to Hamas, more than the average rate of 15 percent for the general Gazan male population.
Officials told the Journal that the employees they believed had ties to Hamas were “operatives,” meaning they were involved in the terror group’s military or political activity.
The intelligence documents, per the paper, were part of a briefing Israeli officials gave to their American counterparts days ago, alleging the participation of 12 UNRWA employees in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks. The Biden administration suspended aid to the agency following the revelations. UNRWA said it fired those staffers.
The Journal‘s Monday reporting based on the intelligence provides new details about the alleged actions of the accused workers. One Arabic teacher reportedly was a terrorist commander, while another, a social worker, allegedly helped steal the corpse of an Israeli soldier and arranged munitions deliveries for the group. The intelligence also said a math teacher took a picture with a female hostage. Israeli officials said they assessed their intelligence by reviewing communication signals and cellphone records, as well as interrogating detained Hamas members and recovering documents from deceased terrorists.
“UNRWA’s problem is not just ‘a few bad apples’ involved in the Oct. 7 massacre,” a senior Israeli government official told the Journal. “The institution as a whole is a haven for Hamas’s radical ideology.”
The agency told the paper that it was carrying out an internal investigation.
UNRWA has long faced accusations that its employees aid terrorists or foment bias against Israel, and those allegations have intensified amid the Jewish state’s war on Hamas in Gaza. A November report said that teachers with the agency celebrated the group’s Oct. 7 attacks. Another from later that month—which UNRWA called “unsubstantiated”—said a teacher with the organization held a hostage in an attic.
What is the significance of the revelation of terrorist ties within UNRWA?
://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-set-to-compensate-victims-of-u-n-agency-employees-tied-to-hamas-11697269947″>prompting the U.S. to announce that it would compensate victims of attacks carried out by UNRWA employees tied to Hamas.
The revelation of terrorist ties within UNRWA is deeply concerning and raises questions about the integrity and effectiveness of the organization. The UNRWA was established in 1949 to provide assistance and protection to Palestinian refugees, but this report suggests that it has been infiltrated by individuals with affiliations to terrorist groups.
It is highly alarming that a significant number of UNRWA employees have ties to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, both recognized as terrorist organizations by the international community. This not only undermines the credibility of the organization but also poses a serious security risk, as individuals with terrorist affiliations can potentially exploit their access to resources and influence within the agency.
The fact that close relatives of nearly half of all UNRWA staffers have official ties to Hamas is particularly alarming. It suggests a systemic issue within the organization that goes beyond the actions of a few individuals. The presence of such a large number of individuals with connections to Hamas also raises concerns about the vetting process employed by UNRWA in the hiring of its employees.
The ties between UNRWA employees and terrorist groups also extend to involvement in Hamas’ military and political activities. This raises questions about the extent to which these employees are engaged in activities that directly contribute to the perpetuation of violence and instability in the region.
This report highlights the need for a thorough review and overhaul of the UNRWA’s hiring and vetting procedures. It is essential that the organization takes immediate and decisive action to address these security risks and ensure that individuals with ties to terrorist groups are not employed within its ranks.
Furthermore, the international community must hold UNRWA accountable for its failure to prevent the infiltration of terrorist elements within its organization. Funding and support to UNRWA should be contingent upon the implementation of robust safeguards and procedures to prevent such occurrences in the future.
The presence of individuals with terrorist ties within UNRWA not only compromises the organization’s mission of providing assistance and protection to Palestinian refugees but also threatens regional security and stability. It is imperative that swift and comprehensive action is taken to address this issue and restore the credibility and effectiveness of the organization.
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