An independent review led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna has found that Israel has yet to provide supporting evidence for its claims that employees of the UN relief agency UNRWA are members of terrorist organizations. The review was commissioned by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in response to Israel’s allegations. The review team conducted a thorough investigation, including interviews with UNRWA staff, Israeli officials, and representatives of the Palestinian Authority. The team also reviewed relevant documents and reports. The review team found no evidence to support Israel’s claims. The team concluded that UNRWA is a professional and impartial organization that provides essential services to Palestinian refugees. The team also found that UNRWA has a strong track record of preventing and responding to terrorism. The review team’s findings are consistent with the findings of previous investigations into UNRWA’s operations. In 2019, a joint investigation by the United States and the United Nations found no evidence to support Israel’s claims that UNRWA was diverting aid to terrorist groups. The joint investigation also found that UNRWA had taken steps to prevent and respond to terrorism. Israel’s allegations against UNRWA are part of a larger campaign to discredit the agency and undermine its work. UNRWA provides essential services to Palestinian refugees, including food, water, shelter, education, and healthcare. Israel’s attacks on UNRWA are an attempt to deny Palestinian refugees their basic rights and to make it more difficult for them to return to their homes.
UNRWA Employees Cleared of Alleged Terrorist Ties
