Aid workers accused of taking part on 7/10 attack on Israel - appalling !

[Lanabigbanana]

https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/serious-allegations-against-unrwa-staff-gaza-strip

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-palestinian-refugee-agency-investigates-staff-suspected-role-israel-attacks-2024-01-26/

From the Guardian 5 hours ago;

"UK suspends UNRWA support after Israeli allegations The UK has temporarily paused future funding of UNRWA, saying it is “appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel”.
A statement sent to the Guardian by the UK’s foreign, commonwealth and development office said:
'The UK is appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK government has repeatedly condemned.

The UK is temporarily pausing any future funding of UNRWA whilst we review these concerning allegations.'

We remain committed to getting humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza who desperately need it."

Is it true these confessions came from torture?

The IDF got the confessions.
Torture may or may not have been involved. How the heck could you find out.

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2024/01/28/exp-chris-gunness-guest-seg-012804aseg2-cnni-world.cnn

So where are these people now? Are they imprisoned in Israel?

So maybe not add to it - that's all

Thread after thread in this section is full of random tiktok and instagram links taken as unquestionable truth - did you pull them up similarly?

The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that around 10% of UNRWA staff have links to militant groups:

https://twitter.com/WSJ/status/1751928193609609617

Yes I do question random info - obviously not every single one as I'd have to spend my whole life here to do that!

It is important to investigate concerns further, in an open and transparent way. If Hamas does run some of the necessary services -eg references to Hamas health run services, it would make sense for some interaction with UNRWA?

In case this got last in my last post, the Wall Street Journal, which is presumably considered a reliable source, is reporting that intelligence states around 10% of UNRWA workers are linked to militant groups:

The actual article is subscription only so couldn't read it

I'm assuming it contains the 3,000 teachers in a Telegram group. UNwatch has combed through the group posts and found about a dozen posts. I linked to the author of the report and his evidence on the 27th, in this thread.

According to UNWRA statement yesterday:
In a statement on Sunday, he said: "Of the 12 people implicated, nine were immediately identified and terminated by the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini; one is confirmed dead and the identity of the two others is being clarified."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68127544

I saw the 10% links to militant organisations for UNWRA workers. I imagine its not surprising, working in Gaza and seeing the conditions. I don't condone supporting terrorists at all but easy to see why they might feel sympathy seeing the images of children on tic toc and X and in real life. We see that in the UK people quickly join in with supportive chanting, support for the Houthis. So much hatred and anti semitism against people who have nothing to do with Israel, live here in the UK and are Jewish.

Mediation and a neutral government for gaza seem unlikely at present with the Hamas stranglehold on everything

This.

There are thousands of UNWRA staff. Some of the teachings I've seen are very much indoctrination of hatred. Some now have been sacked due to taking part in 7/10. Not surprised.

It was behind a paywall - whose intelligence was it and what were the concerns? See my post above about legitimate reasons UNRWA might have to liaise with HAMAS if they were running services in Gaza.
These need to be properly understood.

I used to work in the overseas development/aid field (government not NGO) and there was always concern about corruption but I think there's no doubt that it's got worse everywhere. There's the added concern about Hamas of course but just read this comment on Twitter (in response to one about UNWRA salaries) about the UN in Somalia. If even half of this is true it's outrageous and the whole of the UN needs completely rebuilding from bottom-up.

Incidentally the comment about medicines echoes something I read recently about medical aid arriving in Gaza when it had already expired.

https://twitter.com/MightyMightyO1/status/1734195887411225052?t=IF27BMyCn8KPNgJml7BW-w&s=19

Have you not seen 3 threads of random tic toc, X and Instagram posts of what the idf are supposed to have done, taken as gospel by many. Hundreds of pages of unverified 'they did this, they did that'.

They don't appear to be called out for verification or wait until investigated? Double standards.

I imagine there are many things done supporting hamas in gaza, otherwise they wouldn't be able to continue. There are also idf rogue soldiers no doubt. Many awful things have occurred during this conflict. Its dragging on imo for many reasons not least hamas being supported in many ways. There are no winners

The salaries of people at the top of these charities. Previous cover ups and scandals (Haiti for example). Corruption appears rife.

UNWRA in Gaza right now is down to 3,000 pairs of feet on the ground. Most of the foreigners have left. That's not really enough to run health care, shelters and food. Any other agency stepping in is going to have to use the existing infrastructure and probably the same staff.

Agree that Charites etc are very good at having multiple layers of highly paid staff who leisurely instruct volunteers and minimum wage staff to do the graft, whilst busily striving to make themselves look essential.

@StarbucksSmarterSister I am absolutely aghast at those salaries. They are so far out of line with local wages it's obscene.

Posted today

Posted today

I used his source for the salaries he quotes to look up my own salary and apparently I earn three to four times what I actually earn! So I don't think it's a great source.

Aren't UN salaries openly available?

Do you work for a private organisation? Did you check your specific employer? Maybe you earn less than your peers.

Israeli intelligence? The same intelligence that produced the 'video evidence' that Hamas headquarters were beneath the hospital? The same intelligence that failed to heed warnings about 7/10? This really needs to be independently looked into. Smearing a charity organisation based on 'intelligence' from a country that has recently proven just how inept their intelligence is doesn't seem wise.

Yes they are I believe. I wonder why he didn't use a UN source.