Report: UNRWA workers involved in October 7 kidnappings, massacre

DPA
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Residents look at the wreckage of destroyed vehicles following a rocket attack from Gaza. One member of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) kidnapped an Israeli woman on October 7, another handed out ammunition and a third took part in the massacre of a kibbutz in which 97 people died, according to a report on Sunday in the New York Times (NYT). Ilia Yefimovich/dpa

One member of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) kidnapped an Israeli woman on October 7, another handed out ammunition and a third took part in the massacre of a kibbutz in which 97 people died, according to a report on Sunday in the New York Times (NYT).

The report contains accusations against 12 UNRWA employees - more than half of whom were working as teachers or in other functions at UNRWA schools on October 7.

Of the 12 accused, 10 are members of the Islamist organisation Hamas. The employees are accused of helping Hamas during the attacks on October 7 or supporting them in the days that followed.

To date, the US government has not confirmed the allegations. The information caused outrage worldwide and the US, along with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan and others, have suspended payments to UNRWA. Washington has said that the allegations are credible.

The NYT report traced the movements of six UNRWA employees within Israel on October 7 by using their telephones. Others had their telephone conversations monitored in which they discussed their involvement in the Hamas attack. One had been asked by text message to bring rocket-propelled grenades or artillery fire that had been stored in his house,the story said.

The United Nations founded UNRWA in 1949 to help Palestinian refugees. Palestinians who fled or were expelled in 1948 and their descendants are entitled to its services. According to the organization, this now amounts to around 5.9 million people.

UNRWA has more than 30,000 employees, most of whom are Palestinians. The aid organization employs around 13,000 people in the Gaza Strip alone. It is also active in Jordan and Lebanon.