UN Fires Gaza Staff Over Claims They Joined Hamas Attack

Palestinian refugee group will probe Israeli allegations
Biden administration says UNRWA still plays ‘critical role’

The UN Relief and Works Agency takes stock of humanitarian aid from the first convoy of relief trucks arriving at the Rafah border in Gaza, on Oct. 21. — The UN Relief and Works Agency takes stock of humanitarian aid from the first convoy of relief trucks arriving at the Rafah border in Gaza, on Oct. 21.
Photographer: Mohammed Zaanoun/AFP/Getty Images

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By Augusta Saraiva and Courtney McBride

January 26, 2024 at 3:29 PM UTC

Updated on

January 27, 2024 at 3:54 PM UTC

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The United Nations fired several staffers at its Palestinian refugee agency over Israeli allegations that they took part in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, news that prompted the US, the UK and other countries to suspend funding.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “is horrified by the news” that workers with the UN Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, may have been involved in the attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel, and urged the agency’s chief to refer the accused for potential prosecution, his office said in a statement Friday. According to the statement, there will be an “urgent and comprehensive independent review” of the agency.