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IDF troops find explosives in UNRWA kindergarten in Gaza
(צילום: דובר צה"ל)
Israel believes there are more UNRWA staff collaborating with Hamas, after the UN conceded that 12 members of the organization had participated in the October 7 massacre. Officials also said that UNRWA sites were used as terror instillations in the war. Military intelligence was looking for further indications that incriminate more members of the UN refugee organization of taking part in the atrocities.
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The military intelligence delivered the information they had collected to the Foreign Ministry and later IDF's intelligence Chief Aharon Haliva, met with the U.S. Ambassador Jacob Lew and with David Satterfield, the U.S. special Mid-East envoy for humanitarian issues, to reveal the findings to them.
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UNRWA brings fuel into Gaza through Rafah border
(Photo: Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters)
Hours later the Biden administration announced it was suspending its funding of UNRWA pending an investigation. Most of the information was still considered confidential although some of it may be declassified and revealed later on Sunday.
Government spokesperson Mark Regev said there was a structural relationship between UNRWA and Hamas and not just a matter of a few bad apples. the names provided were just the "tip of the iceberg," he said.
Speaking to Sky News, Regev said the Hamas terrorists themselves posted their atrocities, which revealed others among them official UNRWA employees. Others were identified after being captured by the IDF, during their interrogations, when they were asked who they were working for.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres vowed to hold to account any UNRWA staff member who participated in the massacre. He said of the 12 people identified, nine were dismissed, one was killed in the war and the fate of the remaining two was unclear.