UN relief agency ‘riddled with Hamas’

Australia is among several countries that have paused funding to UNRWA over allegations that 12 staff were involved in the October 7 massacre. Israel says Hamas’ infiltration is much more widespread.

At least nine countries have stopped funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) after Israel provided evidence to the UN that staff members were directly involved in the October 7 Hamas massacre.

UNRWA's main donor, the US, has paused funding, together with Australia, the UK, Canada, Italy, Finland, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands.

UNRWA is the main agency providing aid to Palestinians in Gaza, including food and shelter for an estimated 1.7 million people displaced since Israel began its campaign to destroy Hamas, following the October 7 massacre.

The suspension of aid came after Israel provided evidence to the UN of specific UNRWA staff members involved in the Hamas attacks. One school counselor was shown to be involved in kidnapping a woman from Israel; a teacher held another hostage captive; a social worker helped to bring the body of a dead Israeli soldier to Gaza and distributed ammunition for the massacre.

Israel says the involvement of Hamas in UNWRA goes much deeper. Intelligence reviewed by the Wall Street Journal names 190 UNWRA employees as hardened fighters and states that around 10% of UNRWA's roughly 12,000 employees in Gaza have links to Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.