UN suspends UNRWA probes as 'Israel' fails to provide evidence

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
27 Apr 2024 11:39
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Months into the investigations against UNRWA members, "Israel' has consistently failed to provide the UN with evidence to support its allegations, prompting their suspension.

Israeli occupation soldiers inside an UNRWA center in Gaza City, on February 8, 2024. (AFP)

The spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, said that five probes into UNRWA staff members alleged by "Israel" to have partaken in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7 were dismissed, as "Israel" has failed to provide evidence for its allegations.

Following the commotion that involved 12 UNRWA staffers accused by "Israel" of allegedly aiding Hamas, nine were dismissed, while two were killed during the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

However, the last employee had been under investigation, with Dujarric revealing on Friday that "Israel" has still not provided any evidence to back its allegations, adding that administrative measures were underway to resolve the UNRWA member's case.

Dujarric also stated that other investigations into three additional UNRWA employees were dismissed due to the absence of any evidence provided by "Israel".

Seven new probes were additionally launched against more employees, but one was suspended amid 'Israel's" failure to provide evidence that would implicate the accused.

A preliminary report released in March indicated that "UNRWA has established numerous mechanisms and protocols to uphold compliance with the Humanitarian Principle of neutrality." However, the investigators also highlighted "key areas that require urgent attention" in the same report.

'Israel' tortures UNRWA members

A Reuters report in March revealed that following weeks of the nonstop Israeli targeted campaign against the UN agency, UNRWA said in an unpublished report that some of its staffers were coerced into falsely stating that they had ties with Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas.

Juliette Touma, the communications director for UNRWA, stated that the agency intended to provide the information contained in the report to organizations, both within and outside the UN, who specialize in documenting potential human rights violations.

"When the war comes to an end there needs to be a series of inquiries to look into all violations of human rights," Touma said.

The UNRWA report said that the agency's staffers were subjected to waterboarding, beatings, dog attacks, sexual violence, in addition to the death of some detainees under interrogation after being denied medical care.