An Israeli file detailing the alleged involvement of UNRWA employees in the October 7 attack

CNN
—

Israel claims that 13 staff from the main UN relief agency in Gaza were linked to the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, and participated in various capacities, from being involved in hostage-taking to being asked to set up an operations room, according to a summary of intelligence shared by an Israeli official. With CNN.

The Israeli official shared with CNN information and allegations collected by Israel regarding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which employs about 13,000 people in Gaza and provides humanitarian support including education, health care and food relief. For residents of the enclave.

CNN was not able to see the intelligence behind the summary of the allegations, and it cannot confirm Israel's claims about individual employees or about the agency's dynamics with Hamas and other groups operating in Gaza. The summary does not provide evidence to support its claims.

Of the 13 UNRWA employees allegedly linked to the attack, the Israeli document claims that 10 were Hamas activists, two were Palestinian Islamic Jihad activists and one was not identified.

Israel believes that six UNRWA employees infiltrated Israel as part of the attack, and four were involved in the kidnapping of Israelis. Three other UNRWA employees were invited via SMS to arrive at the assembly area the night before the attack and were directed to prepare with weapons, but it has not been confirmed. From their presence on October 7.

It also claims that at least one UNRWA employee provided logistical support for the attack.

This summary is part of what was presented to the US Ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew, and the Special Envoy for Humanitarian Issues in the Middle East, Ambassador David Satterfield, in a briefing on Friday with the head of Israeli Military Intelligence, according to the Israeli official.

When asked about the allegations, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, said that the UN had not received the intelligence shared with the media, and that UNRWA was operating in Gaza with a mandate from the UN General Assembly, a voting body for member states. .

He added: “This information was not officially provided to us by the Israeli authorities.”

UNRWA has already expelled several of its staff in the wake of the allegations, which first emerged last week, hours after the UN Supreme Court ordered Israel to act immediately to prevent genocide in Gaza. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini also ordered an investigation into these allegations by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services.

In a statement on Sunday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that nine UNRWA employees who were at the center of the allegations had been fired. Another person died and the identity of two others is still “under clarification.”

“Any UN employee involved in terrorist acts will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution,” Guterres said, adding that an independent review was imminent.

UNRWA has long been a target of Israeli criticism. Israel accused the agency of incitement against Israel, which UNRWA denies. In 2017, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to dismantle the UN body, saying it should be merged with the main UN refugee agency.

Israel also accused Hamas of using UN facilities in Gaza, alleging in its intelligence summary that the armed group's operatives used an UNRWA school as a hideout and used mass evacuations to hide themselves among fleeing civilians. The United Nations has reported several raids on UNRWA schools and shelters since the start of the war.

UNRWA He denies these accusations That its aid was being diverted to Hamas or that it was teaching hatred in its schools, she questioned “the motives of those who make such allegations.” The agency condemned the Hamas attack on October 7, describing it as “abhorrent.”

The fallout from these allegations led several major donor countries to the agency, including the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom, to withdraw funding from UNRWA. Norway, Ireland, Turkey and Saudi Arabia are among the countries that have not stopped funding.

UN officials warn that UNRWA will run out of money if countries suspend payments, threatening the humanitarian relief the organization provides to millions of people.

As the Israeli offensive entered its fourth month, entire neighborhoods in Gaza were bombed I erasedVital supplies diminishThe entire population of Gaza – about 2.2 million people – faces it famineDrought and fatal diseases.

at least 152 UNRWA employees They were killed in Gaza since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, according to the agency.

Since October 7, the death toll in Gaza has risen to 26,422 people and 65,087 people have been injured, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry, which says the majority of the dead are women and children. CNN cannot independently verify the numbers due to difficulties covering the war zone

A growing group of world leaders have warned of the rising Palestinian death toll. Israel has strongly opposed calls for a ceasefire, stressing that it needs to move forward with its goal of eliminating Hamas.

This is a developing story and will be updated.