In a strongly worded speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Reut Shapir Ben-Naftaly, Political Coordinator at Israel’s Permanent Mission to the UN, delivered a scathing critique of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), accusing it of deep infiltration by the militant group Hamas and calling for its immediate replacement in Gaza.
Speaking before member states, Shapir Ben-Naftaly alleged that approximately 12% of UNRWA employees in Gaza are affiliated with Hamas, with at least 12 individuals from the agency directly implicated in the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks on southern Israel. These claims, she said, represent just the tip of the iceberg in what Israel sees as a systemic problem within the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency.
🇮🇱 Watch @ReutSBN, political coordinator at Israel’s Mission to the UN, deliver a powerful speech at #UNGA, exposing alarming truths about Hamas’ infiltration of UNRWA in Gaza. 12% of its employees are members of Hamas and at least 12 directly took part in the Oct. 7 attack.… pic.twitter.com/C6Kkl1tj5w
— Israel at the UN (@IsraelinUN) March 5, 2024
“UNRWA is not a neutral humanitarian organization. It has become compromised from within,” Shapir Ben-Naftaly stated. “The agency’s infrastructure, its personnel, and even its school curricula are deeply entangled with Hamas ideology and operations. Gaza’s children are not being educated—they are being radicalized.”
Allegations of Terror Involvement
Citing intelligence and security assessments, the Israeli diplomat said that dozens of UNRWA employees have been found to have connections with Hamas and other militant groups, some even playing operational roles in the attacks that shocked the international community in late 2023. She added that UNRWA facilities, including schools and health centres, have been used to store weapons and launch attacks.
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“These are not isolated incidents. This is a pattern of abuse, cover-up, and complacency,” she said. “UNRWA has failed in its core mandate to provide neutral, impartial support to Palestinian civilians. Instead, it has enabled the very terror that fuels the conflict and undermines regional stability.”
Calls for Reform and Defunding
Israel’s message to the international community was unambiguous: continued funding of UNRWA, in its current form, is tantamount to subsidizing terror. Shapir Ben-Naftaly urged donor countries to reconsider their financial support and instead redirect aid through alternative humanitarian organizations with stronger oversight and accountability mechanisms.
“Taxpayer money from democratic nations is being funneled to an agency that employs terrorists and indoctrinates children. This must stop,” she said. “The people of Gaza deserve genuine humanitarian assistance, not political exploitation.”
Several countries, including the United States, Canada, and some European Union member states, have already suspended funding to UNRWA pending investigations into the October 7 incident. Israel is now pushing for a permanent shift in international aid strategy.
UNRWA Responds
In response to Israel’s accusations, UNRWA issued a statement reaffirming its commitment to neutrality and transparency. The agency acknowledged that some staff members are under investigation, but emphasized that it has taken immediate disciplinary action, including terminations, where credible evidence has emerged.
“UNRWA condemns all acts of violence and terrorism. We are fully cooperating with independent reviews and remain committed to upholding humanitarian principles,” the statement read.
The UN has launched an external review of UNRWA’s practices, led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, to examine issues of neutrality, oversight, and operational integrity. Initial findings are expected in the coming months.
The Role of UNRWA in Gaza
Established in 1949, UNRWA provides education, health care, and social services to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. In Gaza alone, it employs more than 13,000 staff and operates hundreds of schools and clinics.
However, critics argue that the agency has long been politicized and ineffective. Israel, in particular, has accused it of perpetuating refugee status across generations and of failing to prevent the misuse of its facilities by militant groups.
“Gaza’s humanitarian needs are real, but UNRWA is no longer fit to meet them,” Shapir Ben-Naftaly said. “It’s time to build a new framework for aid that is transparent, accountable, and free from terror.”
Mixed Reaction from Member States
Reactions to the speech were divided along geopolitical lines. Some Western nations voiced cautious support for Israel’s concerns while emphasizing the need for continued humanitarian aid to Gaza’s civilian population. Others, particularly in the Arab and Non-Aligned blocs, accused Israel of deflecting attention from its military actions in Gaza and the broader humanitarian crisis.
Diplomatic sources confirm that informal consultations are underway to explore alternative models of aid delivery in Gaza, possibly involving international NGOs or UN agencies with tighter security screening and audit procedures.
A Call for Accountability
Concluding her remarks, Shapir Ben-Naftaly urged the General Assembly not to turn a blind eye to what she termed a “moral and operational failure” at the heart of the UN’s presence in Gaza.
“We must confront the truth, however uncomfortable. UNRWA’s time in Gaza must come to an end. The world owes it to the innocent Palestinians caught between terror and tragedy to provide something better.”
