Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the United Nations' Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA had been "totally infiltrated" by Hamas after several countries suspended funding over Israel's claims that 12 UNRWA staff were involved in the October 7 attack.
"UNRWA is completely infiltrated with Hamas," Netanyahu told a meeting of UN ambassadors in Jerusalem, adding that "we have to get other UN agencies and other aid agencies to replace UNRWA." Netanyahu's comments came after the agency said it was "extremely important" to conduct an independent investigation into Israeli claims that 12 of its officials were involved in the October 7 Hamas attack.
Following these accusations, major donors, including Britain, Germany, Japan and the US, announced the suspension of aid to the agency. "She (the agency) was in the service of Hamas, in its schools and many other things," Netanyahu said at the meeting, a video of which was released by the government's press office. "I say this with great regret because we had hoped that there would be an objective and constructive body to offer assistance. We need such a body today in Gaza, but UNRWA is not that body." /BGNES