Sky News ‘Not Seen Proof’ That UNWRA Aids Hamas After Reviewing Israel’s ‘Evidence’
UNRWA headquarters, United Nations, Amman, Jordan. 20 December 2023(Sipa via AP Images)
After reviewing the Israeli report evidencing the country’s claims that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is involved directly with Hamas in Gaza, Sky News reports that the documents provide no concrete proof to back the claims.
According to the documents, accusations fly thick and fast, alleging the involvement of UNRWA staff in aiding Hamas, ranging from kidnapping Israelis to securing humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip under Hamas’ influence.
Israeli sources contend that “out of approx. 12,000 UNRWA employees in GS [Gaza Strip], about 10% are Hamas/PIJ [Palestinian Islamic Jihad] operatives and about 50% are first-degree relatives with a Hamas operative.”
“The Israeli intelligence documents make several claims that Sky News has not seen proof of and many of the claims, even if true, do not directly implicate UNRWA,” Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall wrote Thursday.
Before the “evidence” documents were even published, however, the accusations already had cast a long shadow and prompted several countries, including the UK, to immediately halt funding for UNWRA, taking Israel’s claims at face value.
UNRWA, established in 1949 and primarily funded through voluntary donations, plays a pivotal role in providing education, healthcare, and assistance to Palestinian refugees not only in Gaza but also in territories including east Jerusalem and the West Bank. The suspension of funds threatens to jeopardise these vital services, affecting millions of people.
In response to the allegations, UNRWA’s commissioner general, Phillippe Lazzarini, has taken decisive action by terminating the contracts of certain staff implicated and began a thorough investigation, reiterating the agency’s zero tolerance for any involvement in terrorism.
Despite the controversy, UNRWA remains on the ground and committed to its humanitarian mission.
