United Nations investigators expect to soon receive materials from Israel relating to allegations that staff from the United Nations Palestinian Refugee Agency (UNRWA) were involved in Hamas attacks on October 7, a UN spokesman said committee on Thursday.
The allegations became public five weeks ago when the agency announced that it had fired some employees after Israel verbally disclosed the information to the organization. The Jewish state accused 12 members of the panel of involvement in the attacks, nine of whom were fired, the United Nations said.
The investigation by the agency's Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) is independent and was launched after the United States the organization's largest donor to assist refugees and other nations cut off aid to the agency.
The OIOS informed UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres on Wednesday about the progress of the investigation, according to the organization's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric. He did not say when the investigation would be completed.
“The investigation is ongoing. “OIOS will continue to seek and confirm additional information and compare it with data obtained from materials in the possession of the Israeli authorities, which OIOS expects to receive soon,” he said.
UNRWA employs around 13,000 people in the Gaza Strip. It is responsible for operating schools, primary health clinics and other social services, as well as distributing humanitarian aid. Guterres said around 3,000 staff were still on duty to provide care for the population.
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