An independent review of the neutrality of the U.N. agency assisting Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has found that Israel never expressed concerns about staff lists provided to them. The review was conducted after Israel alleged that 12 UNRWA employees participated in Hamas attacks in October 2022.
The report cited serious gaps in implementation of neutrality procedures, including staff expressing political views, problematic textbook content, and union disruptions. It noted that Israel did not consider the staff lists as a screening process but a procedure to register diplomats.
The panel also noted that Israel had yet to provide supporting evidence for its claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of terrorist organizations. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has ordered a separate investigation into the Israeli allegations.
