JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said Friday (Jan 26) it had sacked several employees accused by Israel of involvement in Hamas's Oct 7 attack, prompting the United States to suspend critical funding.
The head of the agency, Philippe Lazzarini, vowed to hold "accountable, including through criminal prosecution" any UNRWA employee found to have taken part in acts of terror.
In response to the firings, UN chief Antonio Guterres pledged to conduct an "urgent and comprehensive independent review of UNRWA", his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
The US State Department said in a statement that it was "extremely troubled" by the allegations against the agency, UNRWA, and has "temporarily paused additional funding ... while we review these allegations and the steps the United Nations is taking to address them".
Twelve employees "may have been involved", it added.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke Thursday with the head of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, "to emphasise the necessity of a thorough and swift investigation of this matter", the statement said.
"We also welcome the UN's announcement of a 'comprehensive and independent' review of UNRWA. There must be complete accountability for anyone who participated in the heinous attacks of Oct 7," the State Department said.
The statement underlined that "UNRWA plays a critical role in providing lifesaving assistance to Palestinians, including essential food, medicine, shelter, and other vital humanitarian support".
"Their work has saved lives, and it is important that UNRWA address these allegations and take any appropriate corrective measures, including reviewing its existing policies and procedures."
Israel's foreign ministry said Friday it was "expecting an urgent investigation of UNRWA on the involvement of its employees in the terror attack of Oct 7".
Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, said the sackings proved long-standing claims that "UNRWA employees are collaborators of the terrorist organisation Hamas".
"BLATANT DISREGARD OF BASIC RULES OF WAR"
Relations between Israel and UNRWA deteriorated further in recent days when the UN agency said tank shelling hit a shelter for displaced people in Gaza's main southern city of Khan Younis.
The agency said tens of thousands of displaced people had been registered at the shelter and Wednesday tank shelling killed 13 people.
Asked about the incident, the Israeli army said "a thorough review of the operations of the forces in the vicinity is underway", adding it was examining the possibility that the strike was a "result of Hamas fire".
Lazzarini slammed Wednesday's bombardment as a "blatant disregard of basic rules of war", with the compound marked as a UN facility and its coordinates shared with Israeli authorities.
The Israeli army is the only force known to have tanks operating in the Gaza Strip.
A UNRWA spokeswoman confirmed testimony from displaced people in the shelter who said the army gave them until 5.00 pm local time on Friday to flee.
AFP was not able to confirm the situation on Friday at the shelter.
FUNDING WOES
UNRWA has struggled to meet funding requirements in recent years.
The agency's chronic budget shortfalls worsened dramatically in 2018 when former US President Donald Trump cut support to the agency.
The Trump administration branded UNRWA "irredeemably flawed", siding with Israeli criticisms of the agency founded in 1949, a year after Israel's creation.
But US President Joe Biden's administration has fully restored support, providing US$340 million in 2022, making it the agency's largest donor.
At least 26,083 Palestinians, around 70 per cent of them women, young children and adolescents, have been killed in the Gaza Strip in Israeli bombardments and ground offensive since then, according to the Hamas government's health ministry.