More than a hundred current or former UNRWA staff were referred to the US State Department for suspension or disbarment from their role in the UN agency for participating in the October 7, 2023, massacre and or their affiliation with Hamas’s military wing, the USAID Office of Inspector General (USAID OIG) confirmed last week.
UNRWA school principals, teachers, security personnel, attendants, psychosocial counselors, and medical professionals were among those referred.
Some of the 101 individuals had already been referred by the USAID OIG, but additional information was uncovered since the initial application.
Two deputy school principals at an UNRWA institution were referred by USAID OIG for serving in senior positions in Hamas’s Izzadin al-Qassem Brigade.
In one case, the UNRWA professional served as a deputy company commander in the Ain Jalut 5th Infantry Battalion, while the other was said to be a squad leader for the 2nd Infantry Battalion of the Khan Yunis Brigade.
Another deputy school principal was said to have served as a platoon commander in Hamas’s Nuseriat battalion and had communications responsibilities during the 2023 massacre, while a teacher who also worked as a soldier for the terror group was said to have delivered two anti-tank missiles to a prescribed location for use in the October 7 terror attacks.
UNRWA-affiliated commanders of Hamas fighting forces, soldiers
If the State Department chooses to disbar or suspend the 101 individuals identified by USAID OIG, they will be excluded from working across future US-funded aid organizations.
The referrals have already led to the disbarment of Hafez Mousa Mohammed Mousa, an operative of the Hamas East Jabaliya Battalion, who was found to have coordinated communications with other suspected Hamas members during the October 7 attacks while also serving as an UNRWA school principal.
A representative from UNRWA told The Jerusalem Post, “We take these allegations very, very seriously and any allegation of neutrality breach made against staff will be taken very seriously, and that includes alleged membership in sanctioned Palestinian groups.”
Asserting that the allegation would be treated seriously, whether it was made by Israel or another party, the representative added, “We have a zero tolerance policy for neutrality breaches, and that means there is no place in UNRWA for terrorists or criminals or those who don’t share the values of the United Nations.”
UNRWA provided information to USAID OIG for their referrals and offered to provide more information if needed, he added, concluding that the organization would be happy to respond to allegations where corroborated evidence is provided.