Israel did not raise concerns about staff of UN agency assisting Palestinian refugees: Review

An independent review of the United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has found that Israel never expressed concern about any staff members on the agency’s lists since 2011. This review comes after Israel alleged that a dozen UNRWA employees were involved in Hamas’ attacks on October 7.

The 48-page report, released on Monday, highlighted the robust procedures in place at UNRWA to maintain neutrality but also pointed out serious gaps in implementation. These included staff publicly expressing political views, problematic content in textbooks, and disruptions caused by staff unions.

The report revealed that between 2017 and 2022, the number of allegations of neutrality breaches at UNRWA ranged from 7 to 55 annually. However, from January 2022 to February 2024, there were 151 allegations, mostly related to social media posts made public by external sources.

Former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna led the independent panel and emphasized that UNRWA shares staff lists with host countries, including about 13,000 employees in Gaza. Israeli officials never expressed concerns about these lists, stating that they were not used for screening or vetting purposes.

Israel claimed that a significant number of UNRWA employees were members of terrorist organizations based on Palestinian identification numbers. However, the panel noted that Israel has yet to provide evidence to support these claims.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has ordered a separate investigation by the Office of Internal Oversight Services into the Israeli allegations. The interim report highlighted UNRWA’s mechanisms for ensuring neutrality but also identified critical areas needing improvement. The final report is eagerly awaited to shed more light on the situation.