UNRWA Fires 70 Gaza Staff over Hamas Ties Following US Aid Watchdog Probe
- On Friday, UNRWA terminated 70 employees in the Gaza Strip, with acting Commissioner-General Christian Saunders citing safety and security risks for agency premises and personnel.
- The move follows a USAID Office of Inspector General investigation linking more than 100 UNRWA staff to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, with findings forwarded to the State Department.
- Investigators recommended 101 current and former employees be barred from USAID-funded programs for 10 years, with cases including school principals, teachers, security personnel, and medical staff.
- Israel's Foreign Ministry stated the decision is a "cynical cover-up," claiming Hamas membership remains acceptable within UNRWA, while the agency stated dismissals do not validate the allegations.
- U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said the situation is "rather complex and challenging," noting the commissioner-general must make difficult decisions, and maintained the action is "not linked to funding issues.
13 Articles
13 Articles
UNRWA fires 70 employees after Israeli accusations of Hamas affiliation
Earlier this week, USAID announced that it had referred 101 current or former UNRWA staff members to the US State Department for suspension or disbarment over their role in the October 7 massacre.
UNRWA fires 70 Gaza staffers amid allegations of Hamas ties, says terminations not admission of guilt – Democratic Accent
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) fired 70 staff members working in Gaza after long-standing claims from Israeli authorities that the agency is a collaborator with the Hamas terrorist group. “Today, the Commissioner-General ad interim of UNRWA, Christian Saunders, took the decision to terminate the employment of 70 UNRWA staff members in Gaza with immediate effect,” UNRWA wrote in a Friday…
UNRWA Fires 70 Gaza Employees Amid Mounting Scrutiny Over Hamas Ties
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief (Worthy News) – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency has fired 70 employees in Gaza with immediate effect, saying the move was necessary “to mitigate safety and security risks” for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA personnel, and agency facilities amid long-running Israeli allegations that Hamas has deeply infiltrated the agency. Christian Saunders, UNRWA’s acting commissioner-general, sa…
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