In a significant development, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to immediately terminate 100 employees who have been identified as terrorist operatives. The announcement follows a July 4 letter from Ambassador Amir Weissbrod to UNRWA, obtained by Fox News Digital, which detailed these concerns.
Ambassador Weissbrod’s letter emphasized that the infiltration of Hamas terrorists into UNRWA had been a “recurring concern” for Israeli officials. He noted that the full extent of this issue only became apparent following the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, in which some UNRWA employees were found to have participated.
“Israel has discovered that hundreds of terrorists, members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), have been employed by UNRWA in the Gaza Strip,” Weissbrod wrote, adding that some held high-ranking positions within both UNRWA and Hamas.
The Israeli government has provided UNRWA with a document listing 100 names and IDs of alleged terrorist operatives currently employed by the organization, including their military IDs. Weissbrod asserted that this list represents only a small fraction of the terrorists employed by UNRWA, with more names to be shared in the future.
“Israel expects from you and your organization to immediately terminate the employment of any member of Hamas or PIJ,” Weissbrod demanded, stating that their presence within UNRWA poses a security risk for Israel and breaches the principle of neutrality.
This information will also be shared with major UNRWA donors, Weissbrod added.
The Israeli government has previously presented evidence, including photographs, videos, and documents, proving that Hamas terrorists have been working within UNRWA. In January, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini acknowledged the issue, stating that he had fired staff members involved in the October 7 attacks and launched an investigation to establish the truth.
“Any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution,” Lazzarini stated at the time.
Despite this, Lazzarini has recently defended UNRWA against Israeli criticism, arguing that the agency is “staggering under the weight of relentless attacks” and asserting that Israel seeks to end UNRWA’s operations.
“Israel has long been critical of the agency’s mandate,” Lazzarini said at a U.N. meeting in Geneva. “But it now seeks to end UNRWA’s operations, dismissing the agency’s status as a United Nations entity supported by an overwhelming majority of member states.”
