No evidence from Israel for some UNRWA claims: review
STORY: Israel has yet to provide evidence for its accusations that hundreds of staff with the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees – or UNRWA – are members of terrorist groups, according to a review of the agency's neutrality released on Monday.
The review also noted that UNRWA has a "more developed approach" to neutrality than other similar U.N. or aid groups, according to Catherine Colonna, a former French foreign minister appointed by the U.N. to lead the review.
"There's always room for improvement and some issues related to neutrality persist. This is why this mission was created."
Colonna was tasked with the review after Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff of taking part in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks that triggered the Gaza war.
A separate probe by internal U.N. investigators is looking into those allegations.
Sixteen states paused or suspended funding to UNRWA after Israel raised the concerns... a severe blow to the agency that provides education, health and aid to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
The review said UNRWA shares staff lists annually... and that Israel had not raised any concerns with UNRWA based on those lists since 2011.
Israel then stepped up its accusations in March 2024, saying over 450 UNRWA staff were military operatives in Gaza terrorist groups.
A spokesperson for Israel's foreign ministry on Monday accused more than 2,000 UNRWA workers of being members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad... and said the review of the agency was insufficient.
Colonna said she wasn't surprised by the reaction.
"I want you to know that we have had good relations with Israel. We were received really well by a wide variety of actors there, including officials, several levels, and in several domains. I just briefed one of those contacts we had there, and I'm not surprised by what they say, because I told him 'Of course you will find it is insufficient, but please take it on board. Whatever it would recommend, if implemented, will bring good.'"
The review said UNRWA neutrality challenges included the size of the operation, with most personnel being recruited locally.
It included some staff publicly expressing political views, textbooks with problematic content and politicized staff unions making threats against management.
A spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he has accepted the recommendations and is calling on all countries to actively support UNRWA as it is "a lifeline" for Palestinian refugees in the region.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson said the United States had received the report and is reviewing it.
