Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has accused the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) of being controlled by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip. This statement follows an Israeli air strike on the UNRWA al-Jaouni school in a Gaza refugee camp, which Danon claims was being used as a Hamas command and control center.
Danon alleged that the individuals killed in the strike were Hamas terrorists with a history of violence, some of whom were involved in a previous massacre. He listed the names of these individuals and called for the shutdown of UNRWA, labeling it as a terrorist organization.
UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma responded to these allegations, stating that the Israeli authorities had not officially requested information about the staff killed in the attack. She expressed frustration at learning about such serious accusations through the media after the fact.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) dismissed Touma's comments, emphasizing that it was clear in Gaza who belonged to which group and accusing UNRWA of using diversion tactics to shift blame.
Hillel Neuer, executive director of U.N. Watch, supported the Israeli strike, condemning Hamas for using civilian buildings for military purposes. Neuer accused UNRWA of being complicit with Hamas and called for foreign governments to stop funding the agency.
UNRWA's Touma criticized the decision by Switzerland's lower parliament to suspend funding to the agency, arguing that UNRWA plays a crucial role in providing humanitarian aid in Gaza.
The United States had previously suspended funding to UNRWA due to concerns about some employees' involvement in violent activities. President Biden had reinstated aid to the agency upon taking office, overturning former President Trump's decision to defund UNRWA in 2018.
