UN fires 9 staffers after probe finds they may have been involved in Oct. 7 attack on Israel

JERUSALEM — The UN says it has fired nine staff members of its Palestinian refugee agency, known as UNRWA, after an internal investigation found they may have been involved in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

The U.N. secretary-general’s office announced the move in a brief statement to reporters on Monday. He did not elaborate on the likely role of UNRWA personnel in the attack. He said the nine included seven employees who were previously fired over the claims.

The U.N.’s internal watchdog has been investigating the agency since Israel in January accused 12 UNRWA employees of being involved in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel in which militants killed 1,200 people and kidnapped some. 250 more.

Israel’s accusations initially led major donor countries to suspend their funding to UNRWA, the main agency providing aid to Palestinians in Gaza amid the 10-month-old war. That caused a liquidity crisis of about $450 million. Since then, all donor countries except the United States have decided to resume funding.

The U.N. watchdog, called the Office of Internal Oversight Services, said it relied on evidence provided by Israel in conversations with Israeli authorities. He said he could not independently corroborate that evidence as he did not have direct access to it. Investigators also reviewed internal UNRWA information, including personnel records, emails and other communications data.

It said it found sufficient evidence pointing to the possible involvement of nine employees in the Oct. 7 attack.

“I have decided that in the case of the nine remaining staff members, they cannot work for UNRWA,” the agency’s director, Philippe Lazzarini, said in a statement.

“The agency’s priority is to continue critical and life-saving services for Palestinian refugees in Gaza and throughout the region, especially in the face of ongoing war, instability and the risk of regional escalation,” said Lazzarini, who also He said he condemned the October 1 attack. 7 attack.

In nine other cases, the evidence was insufficient and in another case there was no evidence to indicate their involvement.