Israel is reporting 12 employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) employees participated in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that killed 695 Israeli civilians, 71 foreigners, and 373 security forces.
Of the 12 UNRWA teachers and aid workers, two were killed when seven allegedly crossed into Israel on October 7 to participate in the attack and take part in kidnappings.
Netanyahu accused the UNRWA of teaching extremist ideology, saying, “In UNRWA schools they’ve been teaching the doctrines of extermination of Israel — the doctrines of terrorism, lauding terrorism, glorifying terrorism.”
More than 10 countries, including the United States, have paused their funding to UNRWA as Israel claims up to 190 U.N. employees are “hardened fighters, killers.” The UNRWA employs roughly 13,000 people in Gaza, and fired the nine employees accused, citing the “abhorrent alleged acts” committed, and has called for the United States and other countries to resume funding.
