Israel to Submit Evidence of UNRWA's Alleged Links to 'Terrorism' to UN

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Israel will provide evidence linking the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to "terrorism" to a UN panel looking into the organization, following accusations that its staff were involved in the October 7 attack on Israel, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Monday.

On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed an independent review panel to examine UNRWA activities, led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna.

"Congratulations to the [UN] on forming the investigative committee. We will submit all evidence highlighting [UNRWA's] ties to terrorism and its harmful effects on regional stability. It is imperative that this committee brings the truth to light, necessitating the immediate resignation of the UNRWA chairman [Philippe Lazzarini]," Katz wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

In January, Lazzarini said Israel had shared with the agency data on the alleged involvement of some of its staff members in the October 7 Hamas attack and vowed to hold accountable anyone involved in "acts of terror." The United States, Finland, Italy, Australia, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom and some other countries have since suspended funding for UNRWA.

On October 7, 2023, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from Gaza and breached the border, killing 1,200 people and abducting around 240 others. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 27,300 people have been killed so far in the Gaza Strip, local authorities said.

On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.