The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a critical response to the interim report of the Independent Review Group led by Catherine Colonna, regarding the operations of UNRWA in Gaza.
According to Israel, evidence presented shows that over 2,000 UNRWA employees are members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad © Mena Today
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a critical response to the interim report of the Independent Review Group led by Catherine Colonna, regarding the operations of UNRWA in Gaza.
The ministry accuses the report of attempting to obscure UNRWA's failures to justify the agency's continued funding. Israel's main contention is with the alleged extensive infiltration of UNRWA by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, which are designated as terrorist organizations by Israel and other countries.
According to Israel, evidence presented shows that over 2,000 UNRWA employees are members of these organizations, and a significant portion of UNRWA's educational leadership is comprised of Hamas personnel. Additionally, Israel claims that more than 30 UNRWA facilities have been implicated in housing terrorist infrastructure.
The Israeli Ministry criticizes the review group for not explicitly recommending the termination or avoidance of employment of individuals affiliated with Hamas and other terrorist organizations within UNRWA. It dismisses the proposed reforms by the group as superficial and accuses UNRWA of being complicit in Hamas's terrorist infrastructure. This situation is described as damaging to the reputation of the United Nations and its Secretary-General.
Israel is urging donor countries to reconsider their financial support for UNRWA, advocating for the redirection of funds to other humanitarian organizations that operate in Gaza, to ensure that international aid does not inadvertently support terrorist activities.
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Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told his U.S. counterpart that military operations in the Gaza Strip have created conditions that would enable a hostage deal to be reached, Gallant's office said on Wednesday.
A meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the Middle East was briefly interrupted on Wednesday when two protesters stood with signs and yelled for the release of Israeli hostages held by Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
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