The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has accused Israel of “torturing” several of its staff members who were detained in the Gaza Strip amidst the conflict with Hamas. These employees reportedly stated that they were forced to give confessions under torture and mistreatment during interrogations by Israeli forces.
In a related context, Philippe Lazzarini, the General Director of UNRWA, warned that without additional funding, the agency would face unknown territory with severe implications for international peace and security. Lazzarini highlighted the agency’s minimal operational capacity in his address to the UN General Assembly.
Following Israel’s accusations against 12 UNRWA staff members for participating in Hamas’s October 7th attack, the United States, UNRWA’s largest donor, along with other countries, halted their funding. Israel has intensified its criticism of UNRWA, alleging that 450 of its staff are members of armed groups in Gaza, without providing evidence to support these claims.
UN envoy on sexual violence in conflicts, Pramila Patten, indicated that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Hamas committed acts of rape, “sexual torture,” and other forms of inhumane treatment towards women during the attack.
The conflict has led to an Israeli invasion of Gaza, resulting in over 30,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The humanitarian crisis has been exacerbated by the displacement of most of the region’s 2.3 million inhabitants.
UNRWA, which employs around 13,000 people in Gaza and is the largest aid provider in the region, faces escalated accusations. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a senior Israeli military spokesperson, did not provide names or further evidence to support the significant increase in alleged UNRWA staff members involved in armed activities.
UNRWA condemned Israel’s detention of its staff members, alleging they were forced to make false confessions about links between the agency and Hamas, which are being used to spread misinformation and dismantle UNRWA, putting its staff in Gaza at risk and affecting its operations.
Following Israel’s initial accusations, UNRWA expelled the accused staff members, leading to a suspension of funding worth approximately $450 million by over a dozen countries, nearly half of its budget for the year.
Juliette Touma, UNRWA’s Director of Communications, encouraged any entity with information regarding the serious allegations against UNRWA staff to share it with the ongoing UN investigation.
UN investigations into Israel’s allegations were already underway when the European Union announced a €50 million ($54 million) contribution to UNRWA, contingent upon allowing EU-appointed experts to review the agency’s employee vetting processes.
Hagari also shared a recording of a supposed UNRWA teacher discussing his role in the October 7th attack, without providing evidence of their employment with UNRWA.
The allegations emerge as senior Israeli cabinet member Benny Gantz meets with US officials in Washington amidst ongoing ceasefire talks in Egypt before the upcoming Ramadan. Concurrently, violence escalates between Israel and Lebanon, with recent attacks contributing to rising tensions in the region.
