Israeli intelligence last week provided evidence showing that a dozen UN employees in Gaza were involved in the terrorist attacks launched by Hamas against Israel on October 7, CBS News reported.
According to a document shared with Western news outlets on January 29, Israeli intelligence alleged that seven of the 12 staffers with UNRWA, the United Nations’ humanitarian agency working with Palestinian refugees, were among those who crossed into Israel on October 7. Two of those seven allegedly took part in kidnapping Israeli civilians.
The allegations prompted the United States and other Western nations to freeze funds to UNRWA.
After major donors, including the United States and Great Britain, temporarily suspended all funding to UNRWA, Japan and Austria followed suit.
The United Nations condemned the staff members over the “abhorrent alleged acts” and fired nine of the twelve.
The document, which included the names and photos of the 12 UNRWA workers and what alleged roles they played in the October 7 attack, also said intelligence found at least 190 UNRWA employees were also working with either Hamas or Islamic Jihad in Gaza.
Of the 12 workers accused of being involved in the October attack, nine were teachers and another was a social worker.
Two were accused of either assisting or participating in the abductions of Israeli civilians while two others participated in the raids on kibbutzes in southern Israel.
One UNRWA employee was allegedly armed with an anti-tank missile the night before the October 7 attack while another was accused of taking photos of one of the female hostages.
Some of the UN staffers were accused of “participating in a terror activity” or helping to coordinate the weapons and vehicles used in the October 7 attack.
Israeli intelligence said ten of the UN workers had ties to Hamas while another was linked to Islamic Jihad.
According to Israeli intelligence, two of the UN workers have since been killed.