- UN staff fired over possible links to 7 October attack
- UN announced that nine staff members may have been involved in the 7 October attack
- Spokesperson did not detail the specific actions of the accused staff
- The investigation reviewed 19 staff members
UN staff fired over possible links to 7 October attack
The United Nations announced that nine staff members from the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) may have been involved in the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel. UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq confirmed that these individuals would be terminated following an investigation prompted by Israeli allegations.
The attack resulted in around 1,200 Israeli deaths and 251 people being taken as hostages to Gaza. In the aftermath, the Israeli military’s actions in Gaza have reportedly led to over 38,400 Palestinian deaths, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
While Haq did not detail the specific actions of the accused staff, he emphasised that any involvement would be a severe breach of UNRWA’s mission. An Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson said the report showed UNRWA had hit a “new low”.
The investigation reviewed 19 staff members, following Israel’s claims that 12 had participated in the attack. Although Israel accused over 450 UNRWA employees of being affiliated with terrorist groups, a UN review in April found no evidence supporting these claims.
Despite the controversy, many countries resumed funding for UNRWA after initially suspending it due to the allegations. The United States remains the only major donor yet to restore funding. UNRWA has been providing aid to Palestinian refugees since 1949.