UNRWA did not mention the number of employees who were exposed to suspicion. The United States put the number at 12. The agency employs about 13,000 people in Gaza, providing food aid, health care and education.
The State Department said it had temporarily suspended new funding for the agency pending a review of the accusations and steps taken by the United Nations to address them.
The United States is the largest donor to UNRWA. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the agency's mission as “essential.” Any suspension of US aid, even if temporary, could weaken the agency's ability to respond to what aid workers have described as a dire humanitarian need. More than 93% of the population faces “hunger crisis levels,” and 1.9 million people have taken refuge in UNRWA shelters.
Lazzarini said: “These shocking allegations come at a time when more than two million people in Gaza have relied on the life-saving aid provided by the agency since the start of the war.” “Anyone who betrays the core values of the United Nations also betrays those we serve in Gaza, throughout the region and elsewhere around the world.”
The campaign launched by Israel to eliminate Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 26,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza. Most of them were civilians.
Aid officials say their staff have been targeted while carrying out life-saving activities. The agency says that 152 UNRWA employees were killed, and at least 357 displaced civilians were killed while taking refuge in its facilities.
The agency announced these allegations, the termination of its employees and the investigation publicly, hours after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to make more efforts to prevent the killing of civilians in Gaza and allow more aid to enter the besieged Strip.
A State Department spokesperson said the United States was “deeply troubled” by the allegations and welcomed the investigation. “The United States has reached out to the government of Israel to obtain more information about these allegations, and we have briefed members of Congress,” spokesman Matt Miller said in a statement. We will remain in close contact with the United Nations and the Government of Israel regarding this matter.”
An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman said it expected an “urgent examination” of the allegations. He did not provide further information.
Agency spokesman Lior Hayat said: “It is important for UNRWA to conduct a comprehensive internal investigation into the activities of Hamas activists and other terrorist elements within its ranks to ensure that the organization’s humanitarian activities are not exploited for malicious purposes.”
The Biden administration was Israel's most important ally throughout the war. It hastened the transfer of US weapons while urging Israel to make greater efforts to limit civilian casualties. Critics of the Israeli military operation pointed to the timing of the allegations, which were published on a day when the International Court of Justice ruling could have dominated news from Gaza.
The United States has given more than $1 billion to UNRWA since 2021. A National Security Council spokesman said in November that the State Department exercises “strict oversight” over the agency’s policies, programs and finances.
He said that risk mitigation measures include closely monitoring the organization's activities through partner screening, anti-terrorism certifications, and close cooperation with Israeli authorities.
He added, “UNRWA is an essential element in any plan that seeks to maintain stability in the region and protect civilians.”
Jeff Stein and John Hudson in Washington contributed to this report.
