UN Fires Additional Staff Amid Controversy Over Hamas Allegations

The United Nations terminated more staff members from its Palestinian refugee agency following an internal investigation suggesting their involvement in the Hamas-led October 7 attack on Israel. The decision has intensified calls from Israel to shut down the agency, accusing it of collaborating with militant groups.

The United Nations announced on Monday the firing of more staff members from its agency for Palestinian refugees. This decision follows an internal investigation indicating potential involvement in the Hamas-led attack against Israel on October 7.

The UN secretary-general's office shared the news in a brief statement, without detailing the exact role or evidence against the terminated UNRWA staff. Previously, 12 staffers were fired and seven placed on administrative leave without pay due to similar claims.

The firing of these nine staff members, whose roles were not explicitly described, has renewed Israeli calls to suspend funding for UNRWA and raised further questions about the agency's operational integrity. The UN's internal watchdog based its findings on evidence provided by Israeli authorities and internal records but could not independently corroborate all the data.