United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres vowed on Sunday to hold to account “any UN employee involved in acts of terror” after allegations that some refugee agency staffers were involved in the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
But Guterres implored governments to continue supporting the UN refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) after multiple countries paused funding.
“Any UN employee involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution,” the UN chief said in a statement. “The Secretariat is ready to cooperate with a competent authority able to prosecute the individuals in line with the Secretariat’s normal procedures for such cooperation.”
At the same time, he said, “The tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many in some of the most dangerous situations for humanitarian workers, should not be penalized. The dire needs of the desperate populations they serve must be met.”
In his first direct comments on the issue, the UN chief gave details about the UNRWA staffers implicated in the “abhorrent alleged acts.” Of the 12 implicated, he said, nine had been terminated, one was confirmed dead and the identities of the other two were being clarified.
Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Finland on Saturday joined the United States, Australia and Canada in pausing funding to the aid agency, a critical source of support for people in Gaza, after the allegations by Israel.
On Sunday, Paris said it was not planning any new funding to UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA.
“France has not planned a new payment for the first quarter of 2024 and will decide when the time comes of the action to take together with the United Nations and the main donors,” the foreign ministry said, calling the allegations “exceptionally serious.”
“While I understand their concerns – I was myself horrified by these accusations – I strongly appeal to the governments that have suspended their contributions to, at least, guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s operations,” Guterres said.
Commenting on the matter, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said he was “surprised” by the move to pause UNRWA funding and said it would lead to more suffering for Palestinians.
“Is this action linked to the policy of collective punishment used against civilians in Gaza? These are questions we can continue to ask,” he told a press conference on Sunday.
For its part, the Turkish foreign ministry also urged countries that had paused funding to reconsider their move.
