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Dec 29, 2024

Hamas use UN-schools for terror activities: NYT news story

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UNRWA

Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest taking more time to find out details of history with factual information and analyzed evidence.

The New York Times published an investigative article on December 9, 2024 on the issue of Hamas infiltration of UNRWA.

However, a print version of this article was published on December 13, 2024, Section A, Page 10 of the New York edition with the headline: Records Seized by Israel Show Hamas Presence in U.N. Schools

The United Nations General Assembly established the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on 8 December 1949 with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency’s area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. The subsidiary institution-UNRWA of the UN became operational on 1 May 1950 focusing area of operation from the West Bank to East Jerusalem and from The Gaza Strip to Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Tens of thousands of Palestine refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict (75 years) continue to be displaced are in need of support. Thus, UNRWA helps Palestine Refugees achieve their full potential in human development through quality services it provides in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance being funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.

The New York Times investigative article is broad and comprehensive, includes reference to intelligence information and documents seized by the IDF in Gaza that proves Hamas’s use of UNRWA personnel, facilities and systems, as well as the introduction of its personnel to the system and was prepared in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel and in coordination with the Israel Defence Force (IDF).

The newly uncovered records seized by Israel definitely reveal evidence of Hamas operatives working within United Nations-run schools in Gaza.

This investigative report also enhanced the exact situation on the broader implications for international aid and security in Gaza.

The article also refers to the list of 100 Hamas members that Israel handed over to UNRWA and the lack of UN treatment of the matter. It is supported by the testimonies of former UNRWA personnel and residents of Gaza, who verify the Israeli claims that it is not a matter of “a number of rotten apples” and the organization’s failure.

The article is published at the same time as the implementation of the UNRWA legislation process in the Israeli system in preparation for the entry into force of the legislation on the subject on January 30, 2025 and can be an important tool for emphasizing our messages in this context, and the essence that led to the legislator’s decision.

This is against the background of the parallel political process to promote alternatives to UNRWA activity, and the counter activity that takes place in the Arab sector, and the IDF activity on the subject proving the somehow fundamental failure of UNRWA.

As per the report sources, the IDF with various evidence revealed that some employees at the UNRWA have ties with Hamas’s operators working within U.N.-run schools in Gaza. The Wall Street Journal also clarified in its news report that some educators employed by UNRWA were affiliated with Hamas or Islamic Jihad. They had also played a role or participated in the 7 October 2023 attack against Israel.

One of the UN-run school in Gaza.

The documents show that two-figure educators employed by UNRWA were affiliated with Hamas or Islamic Jihad. Despite warnings from Israel, some individuals remained employed in key positions. The findings have reignited debate over UNRWA’s ability to maintain neutrality and prevent militant infiltration, with the agency and Israel exchanging accusations.

With the reveal of uncountable evidence, conclude that nearly after ten years of investigation, Israel has come to the conclusion that some staff at the UNRWA have supported terrorism and promoted antisemitism on social media. UNRWA in Gaza has been fully infiltrated by Hamas and is incapable of serving as a neutral humanitarian actor in the region, Israel envisioned with stressing on the need to replace it.

Since 2006, Hamas and Israel have fought several wars. But the current ongoing war began when Hamas-led militant groups launched a surprise attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 with a rocket barrage and a few thousand militants breaching the Gaza–Israel barrier, attacking Israeli civilian communities and military bases.

Image credit: Haaretz

Though time has been passing, Today it is 450 days as of December 29, 2024. According to the latest figure till December 26, 2024 revealed by Aljazeera indicating the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the ongoing Israel-Hamas War started on 7 October 2023 Israeli attacks has killed 46,233 Palestinians and thousands more are buried under rubble and threatened by illness whereas Hamas has killed 1,139 Israelis. But there are still 100 hostages taken on October 7, 2023 held captive by Hamas in Gaza including one Nepali student Bipin Joshi. All those people’s fate is still unknown.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) as of November 20, 146 Palestinians, three Lebanese and two Israeli journalists have been killed since the Israel-Gaza war began on October 7.

The UN has also announced in August last that in an investigation on UNRWA, few of its staff working for UNRWA will be sacked as they were proved that they were involved in the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks against Israel.

With its First issue on September 18, 1851 the broadsheet English–The New York Times (NYT) is an American daily newspaper headquartered in New York City covers all the events from global (more than 150 countries) from its over 1700 journalists’ reports.

The NYT published an article, sent to this online-site, with courtesy, by the Embassy of Israel in Kathmandu which also appeared on the homepage of the Embassy of Israel in Washington D.C. USA, can be read at: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/08/world/middleeast/hamas-unrwa-schools.html