UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged with donor countries to “guarantee the continuity” of the body’s Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), after several withdrew financing due to allegations of staff involvement in Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.
“While I understand their concerns — I was myself horrified by these accusations — I strongly appeal to the governments that have suspended their contributions to, at least, guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s operations,” Secretary-General Guterres said in a statement on Saturday.
Israel has claimed that some UNRWA employees were complicit in Hamas’ attack, prompting a number of significant donor countries to stop their financing.
The agency has fired seven employees in response to Israel’s complaints, promising an in-depth examination into the unspecified allegations.
Meanwhile, Israel has threatened to halt the agency’s operations in Gaza following the conflict.
The dispute between Israel and UNRWA comes after the UN’s International Court of Justice ruled on Friday that Israel must prevent possible genocide in the conflict and let additional aid into Gaza.
“The abhorrent alleged acts of these staff members must have consequences,” Secretary of State Antonio Guterres stated.
“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 said in a statement.
“The dire needs of the desperate populations they serve must be met.”
Guterres stated that 12 UNRWA staff were named in the charges, which the United Nations is looking into.
Nine people have been fired, one has died, and “the identities of the other two are being clarified,” he said.
Following the claims, several significant UNRWA donors, including the United States, Britain, Canada, and Switzerland, have announced a temporary suspension of current or future financing.
On Sunday, Israel’s UN envoy criticized Guterres, claiming that the UN head has consistently ignored “evidence” handed to him regarding UNRWA’s involvement in “incitement and terrorism”.
“Any country that continues to fund UNRWA before a comprehensive investigation of the organization should know that its money will be used for terrorism and the aid that will be transferred to UNRWA may reach the Hamas terrorists instead of the population in Gaza,” Gilad Erdan said in a statement issued by Israel’s foreign ministry.
On Saturday, Hamas condemned Israeli “threats” against UNRWA, urging the UN and other international organizations not to “cave in to the threats and blackmail”.
The Islamist group’s October 7 attack killed around 1,140 people in Israel, the majority of them were civilians, according to an AFP calculation of government numbers.
Militants also took approximately 250 hostages, and Israel claims about 132 of them are still in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 28 dead captives.
Israel’s military onslaught has killed at least 26,257 individuals, the majority of them are women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.