An Israeli document obtained Monday spelled out allegations against a dozen UN employees the country says participated in Hamas' Oct. 7 assault – claiming seven stormed into Israeli territory, including two who participated in kidnappings.
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The allegations against staffers with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees prompted Western countries to freeze funds vital for the body, which is a lifeline for Palestinians in Gaza. The UN fired nine of the 12 accused workers and condemned "the abhorrent alleged acts" of staff members.
The accusations come after years of tensions between Israel and the agency known as UNRWA over its work in Gaza, where it employs roughly 13,000 people.
Major donors, including the US and Britain, have cut funding. On Monday, Japan, Austria, and the European Union joined them in pausing assistance. With the majority of its budget in doubt, UNRWA says it will be forced to halt operations within weeks if funding isn't restored.
Video: Families of the hostages camp outside the prime minister's home / Yehonatan Shaul
The Israeli document, which has been shared with US officials and was obtained by The Associated Press, lists 12 people, their alleged roles in the attack, job descriptions and photos.
The document said intelligence gathered showed that at least 190 UNRWA workers were Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists. It said of the 12 workers, nine were teachers and one a social worker. Seven of the employees were accused of crossing into Israel on Oct. 7. Of those, two were alleged to have kidnapped or assisted in the abduction of Israelis and another two were said to have participated in raids on communal farming villages, according to the document.
One was accused of arming himself with an anti-tank missile the night before the attack, while the document claimed another took photos of a female hostage.
Some were accused of "participating in a terror activity" or coordinating the movement of trucks or weapons used in the attack. Ten were listed as having ties to Hamas and one to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Two of the 12 have been killed, according to the document. The UN previously said one was still being identified.
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The allegations have stoked longstanding tensions between Israel and UNRWA. Israel says Hamas uses the agency's facilities to store weapons or launch attacks from. UNRWA says it does not knowingly tolerate such behavior and has internal safeguards to prevent abuses and discipline any wrongdoing.
The UN says the entire agency should not be penalized by the alleged actions of the dozen workers, who it says will be held accountable if true. It has called for the donors to resume funding.
The United States, the agency's largest donor, cut funding over the weekend, followed by several other countries. Together, they provided more than 60% of UNRWA's budget in 2022.
