UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma has responded to Israeli claims of UNRWA-Hamas links commenting that the agency acted to fire the staff immediately because of the seriousness and timing of the allegations — not because it had credible evidence against them.
The Guardian staff working on the Israel-Gaza war, comment on the US Intelligence report of “low confidence” that a handful of UNRWA staff had participated in the attack.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the intelligence report, released last week, assessed with “low confidence” that a handful of staff had participated in the attack, indicating that it considered the accusations to be credible though it could not independently confirm their veracity.
It cast doubt, however, on accusations that the UN agency was collaborating with Hamas in a wider way. The Journal said the report mentioned that although the UNRWA does coordinate with Hamas in order to deliver aid and operate in the region, there was a lack of evidence to suggest it partnered with the group.
It added that Israel has not “shared the raw intelligence behind its assessments with the US”. (US Intelligence Casts Doubt on Israeli Claims of UNRWA-Hamas Links, Report Says, 2024)
Reuters Fact Check group reports that a video montage illustrating the types of humanitarian aid sent to Gaza has been shared online without the context that it contains a clip showing tents set up for Ukrainian refugees in Moldova.
The compilation was originally posted by the State of Israel's official social media accounts, which have since acknowledged the inclusion of footage from Moldova, saying that it was for "illustrative purposes."
The official X account of the State of Israel - which had shared the video on Feb. 4, opens new tab and subsequently deleted it - responded to the BBC journalist’s post in a Feb. 13 X post, opens new tab that said, “the photo was for illustrative purposes and we should have stated that in the video. Moving forward, we will do our best to ensure transparency in the visuals that we post.”
The clip from Moldova, opens a new tab that can be viewed on the iStock photo website. The clip matches aerial photographs dated, opens new tab May 17, 2022, and a ground-level video, opens new tab dated March 9, 2022, on the Getty Images website, identified as showing Palanca, Moldova. (Fact Check: Video Compilation About Gaza Aid Contains Stock Footage From Moldova, 2024)
Evan Dyer of CBC News reports that the government of Canada did not see any evidence backing up Israel's claim that staff employed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) colluded with Hamas before suspending funding to the agency
Israel has refused to provide the intelligence it says backs up its allegations, either to UNRWA or to the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), the UN body assigned to investigate.
"I don't think we need to give intelligence information. This would reveal sources in the operation," Lior Haiat, a spokesperson for Israel's foreign ministry, told France 24.
That statement appeared to contradict a tweet by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Monday which pledged that Israel "will submit all evidence highlighting UNRWA's ties to terrorism and its harmful effects on regional stability."
Dyer reports that Israel's decision to go public with its allegations has caused friction between the Netanyahu government and the Israeli military, which has initiated an investigation to find the sources of the leak, according to Israeli media reports.
Israeli media outlets have reported commanders in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) want UNRWA's operations to continue because they fear being left with sole responsibility for a territory gripped by famine.
Israel's civilian government has been pushing for the elimination of the agency for some time. (Dyer, 2024)
The lives of civilians in Gaza are imperilled by accepting the proclamations of a combatant without proper investigation. We have a moral responsibility to make it clear to our government that this is unacceptable.
References
Dyer, E. (2024, February 7). Canadian officials still haven't seen intelligence linking UN's Gaza aid agency with Hamas: sources. CBC. Retrieved February 23, 2024, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/unrwa-hamas-gaza-canada-1.7107785
Fact Check: Video compilation about Gaza aid contains stock footage from Moldova. (2024, February 22). Reuters. Retrieved February 23, 2024, from https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/video-compilation-about-gaza-aid-contains-stock-footage-moldova-2024-02-22/
US intelligence casts doubt on Israeli claims of UNRWA-Hamas links, report says. (2024, February 22). The Guardian. Retrieved February 23, 2024, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/22/us-intelligence-unrwa-hamas
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