CNN
—
The main UN agency in Gaza is in turmoil after Israel accused some of its staff members of involvement in Hamas’ October 7 terror attacks.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has fired several employees in the wake of the allegations, which have not been made public. The US and several other countries have also paused funding to the organization, which employs around 13,000 people in Gaza, as humanitarian disaster spirals in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
In a statement issued Sunday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said nine of the 12 UNRWA staff members at the center of the allegations had been fired. One other was dead and the identities of two others were still “being clarified.”
“Any UN employee involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution,” Guterres said, adding that an independent review is forthcoming. However, he urged countries to continue financial assistance to the UNRWA, which supports two million Gazans who depend on “critical aid for daily survival.”
In the wake of the allegations, nine countries have so far paused funding for what is the main UN agency in Gaza.
“The abhorrent alleged acts of these staff members must have consequences,” Guterres said. “But the tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many in some of the most dangerous situations for humanitarian workers, should not be penalized,” he added. “The dire needs of the desperate populations they serve must be met.”
Here’s what we know.
UNRWA was established by the United Nations after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war to provide humanitarian assistance for displaced Palestinians.
The organization characterizes Palestinian refugees as any “persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 War.”
Those who fit that definition now number 5.9 million. Israel has rejected the possibility of allowing the displaced Palestinians to return home, arguing that the move would change the country’s Jewish character.
Since its establishment, the United Nations’ General Assembly – a voting body of all member states – has repeatedly renewed UNRWA’s mandate. The agency has provided aid to four generations of Palestine refugees, according to its website, covering education, healthcare, camp infrastructure, social services and emergency assistance, including in times of conflict.
At least 152 UNRWA staffers have been killed in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began, according to the agency.
Neither Israel nor UNRWA have specified the nature of the alleged involvement of UNRWA employees in the events of October 7, nor did they specify the number of employees allegedly involved.
However, an Israeli official told CNN on Friday that Israel shared information about 12 staffers allegedly involved in the October 7 attacks both with UNRWA and the US.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has said he received “information about the alleged involvement of several employees.” To protect the agency’s ability to deliver humanitarian assistance in Gaza, he decided “to immediately terminate the contracts of…
This article was originally published by a amp.cnn.com . Read the Original article here. .