Senior Israeli Military Official Resigns Following Intelligence Failures in Middle East Crisis on October 7th

An independent review commissioned by the United Nations has found that Israel has not provided evidence to support its allegations that many employees of the main U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees are members of terrorist organizations. The review, led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, did not address Israel’s specific claim that a dozen UNRWA employees were involved in the Hamas-led assault on Israel on Oct. 7.

The review, announced in January, gained significance after Israel circulated claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees in Gaza were linked to Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. However, investigators found that Israel had not produced evidence to support these allegations.

Despite the lack of evidence, more than a dozen countries, including the United States, suspended funding to UNRWA in response to the allegations. The United Nations fired 10 of the 12 employees accused in the attack, while urging donor countries to restore funding as the majority of Gazans rely on UNRWA for essential services.

The report highlighted weaknesses in UNRWA’s vetting processes and internal investigations, as well as restrictions on preventing armed groups from using its facilities for military purposes. The review offered recommendations for improving the agency’s neutrality, including additional screening and training of staff members.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres accepted the report’s recommendations and appealed for donors to support UNRWA, emphasizing its importance in providing humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees. While some countries have resumed funding to UNRWA, the United States is waiting for the results of U.N. investigations before deciding whether to resume donations. Israel has called for the closure of UNRWA, alleging that the agency is compromised.