Netanyahu says UNRWA totally ‘infiltrated’ by Hamas

Anjali Sharma

GG News Bureau
NEW YORK, 2nd Feb.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said that the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Near East (UNRWA) is “totally infiltrated” by Hamas and wants it to be replaced by another aid agency.

Netanyahu had conveyed this to the Ambassadors of the UN during a meeting on Wednesday at Jerusalem, a statement issued by Israel Prime Minister’s Office said.

Israel had said that 12 UNRWA staff members had directly participated in the October 7 attack when Hamas terrorists swarmed into Israel killing 1,200 people and holding 253 hostages.

Israel has in its report presented before the UN and donor countries stated that 12 UNRWA staff who had directly participated in the attack, 7 were UNRWA teachers, 2 were educational consultants and others were administrative staff of the Agency.

UNRWA has also said that it was extremely important to conduct an independent investigation into Israeli allegations that 12 of its employees were involved in the October 7 Hamas onslaught against Israel.

According to a statement from Israel Government Press Office, Netanyahu told that the UNRWA has been in the service of Hamas, in its schools.

Netanyahu said: “I say this with great regret because we hoped that there would be an objective and constructive body to offer aid. We need such a body today in Gaza, but UNRWA is not that body.”

A dossier prepared by Israel revealed that during October 7 massacre, an UNRWA teacher was accused of being armed with an anti-tank missile, while another teacher had been accused of filming a hostage being taken captive on October 7.

The dossier also stated that another UNRWA staff member was an elementary school teacher and had allegedly served as a Hamas commander and participated in the massacre in Kibbutz Be’eri, while a man employed by UNRWA as a social worker was allegedly involved in kidnapping of the body of a Israeli soldier.

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