01:19Mandatory credit: UNTV
United Nations (UN) deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq announced that the organisation had decided to 'terminate' the employment of nine UNRWA staff members 'in the interest of the agency' due to their possible involvement in the 7 October attack at a press conference in New York on Tuesday.
"The evidence obtained by OIOS indicated the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in armed attacks of 7th Oct," he said. "The employment of these individuals will be terminated in the interest of the agency".
"In one case, no evidence was obtained by OIOS to support the allegations of the staff member's involvement, while in nine other cases, the evidence obtained by OIOS was insufficient to support the staff members' involvement," he added.
However, Haq's statement gave no details of their alleged actions.
He added that the UN was investigating 19 UNRWA staff after Israel claimed in February that 12 were involved in the Hamas-led attack. The allegations led at least 15 countries to withdraw their support for the agency.
Shortly after the UN announcement, Israeli military spokesperson Nadav Shoshani took to social media platform X to say: 'Your so-called relief agency has sunk to a new low, and it's time for the world to see its true nature'.
UNRWA reportedly employs 32,000 people in its areas of operation, including 13,000 in Gaza.
Fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza broke out after the Palestinian group launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,139 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200 civilians, according to Israeli officials.
In Gaza, the Israeli army launched a large-scale campaign of airstrikes and ground incursion, killing at least 39,000 Palestinians and injuring more than 91,000 since October 7.
UN's Haq reveals sacking of nine UNRWA staff who 'may have been involved' in 7 October attack
United Nations (UN) deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq announced that the organisation had decided to 'terminate' the employment of nine UNRWA staff members 'in the interest of the agency' due to their possible involvement in the 7 October attack at a press conference in New York on Tuesday.
"The evidence obtained by OIOS indicated the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in armed attacks of 7th Oct," he said. "The employment of these individuals will be terminated in the interest of the agency".
"In one case, no evidence was obtained by OIOS to support the allegations of the staff member's involvement, while in nine other cases, the evidence obtained by OIOS was insufficient to support the staff members' involvement," he added.
However, Haq's statement gave no details of their alleged actions.
He added that the UN was investigating 19 UNRWA staff after Israel claimed in February that 12 were involved in the Hamas-led attack. The allegations led at least 15 countries to withdraw their support for the agency.
Shortly after the UN announcement, Israeli military spokesperson Nadav Shoshani took to social media platform X to say: 'Your so-called relief agency has sunk to a new low, and it's time for the world to see its true nature'.
UNRWA reportedly employs 32,000 people in its areas of operation, including 13,000 in Gaza.
Fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza broke out after the Palestinian group launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,139 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200 civilians, according to Israeli officials.
In Gaza, the Israeli army launched a large-scale campaign of airstrikes and ground incursion, killing at least 39,000 Palestinians and injuring more than 91,000 since October 7.
Mandatory credit: UNTV
United Nations (UN) deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq announced that the organisation had decided to 'terminate' the employment of nine UNRWA staff members 'in the interest of the agency' due to their possible involvement in the 7 October attack at a press conference in New York on Tuesday.
"The evidence obtained by OIOS indicated the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in armed attacks of 7th Oct," he said. "The employment of these individuals will be terminated in the interest of the agency".
"In one case, no evidence was obtained by OIOS to support the allegations of the staff member's involvement, while in nine other cases, the evidence obtained by OIOS was insufficient to support the staff members' involvement," he added.
However, Haq's statement gave no details of their alleged actions.
He added that the UN was investigating 19 UNRWA staff after Israel claimed in February that 12 were involved in the Hamas-led attack. The allegations led at least 15 countries to withdraw their support for the agency.
Shortly after the UN announcement, Israeli military spokesperson Nadav Shoshani took to social media platform X to say: 'Your so-called relief agency has sunk to a new low, and it's time for the world to see its true nature'.
UNRWA reportedly employs 32,000 people in its areas of operation, including 13,000 in Gaza.
Fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza broke out after the Palestinian group launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,139 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200 civilians, according to Israeli officials.
In Gaza, the Israeli army launched a large-scale campaign of airstrikes and ground incursion, killing at least 39,000 Palestinians and injuring more than 91,000 since October 7.