UN chief ‘horrified’ by alleged UNRWA links to Hamas

STORY: Dujarric said the UN chief has asked UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini to conduct a probe to ensure that any UNRWA employee shown to have participated or abetted Hamas’ assault be terminated immediately and referred for potential criminal prosecution.

That includes asking the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) to run an investigation.

“An urgent and comprehensive independent review of UNRWA will be conducted,” Dujarric said. “Any employee of UNRWA who is involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution.”

On the news that the U.S. would suspend funding to UNRWA until the allegations were addressed, Dujarric said, “A number of things have to happen at the same time, UNRWA has to ask OIOS to do this investigation … At the same time, our humanitarian work needs to continue. Lives depend on it.”

UNRWA, whose biggest donors in 2022 included the United States, Germany and the European Union, has repeatedly said its capacity to render humanitarian assistance to people in Gaza is on the verge of collapse.