Of the 12 UNRWA staff believed to be involved in the deadly October 7 Hamas attack in Israel, nine have been released, one has been killed and the identities of the other two are “under investigation”, the secretary-general said. UN Antonio Guterres, quoted by CNN and news.ro

“The United Nations is taking swift action following extremely serious allegations against several staff members of the UN Refugee Agency (UNRWA),” Guterres said on Sunday, adding that the UN watchdog had already launched an investigation and independent analysis.

“Any UN employee involved in terrorist acts will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution,” the Secretary General also said.

However, he urged countries to continue financial assistance to UNRWA, which supports 2 million Gazans who depend on this “vital aid” for “daily survival”, warning that the agency’s current funding “will not allow it to meet all the demands to support them”. in February”.

“While I understand their concern – I myself was appalled by these allegations – I strongly urge the governments that have suspended their contributions to at least guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s operations,” Guterres said.

“There must be consequences for the alleged heinous actions of these employees. But the tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many of them in the most dangerous situations for humanitarian workers, should not be punished. The urgent needs of the desperate population they serve must be met,” he said.

Following the accusations against UNRWA, nine countries have so far stopped funding the main UN agency in Gaza.