![This report by Catherine Colonna (here at the UN on February 22, 2024) on UNRWA does not go at all in the same direction as Israel. This report by Catherine Colonna (here at the UN on February 22, 2024) on UNRWA does not go at all in the same direction as Israel.](https://huffpost-focus.sirius.press/2024/04/22/394/0/7557/4250/320/180/60/0/177840f_1713793067924-000-34jz7r8.jpg)
ANGELA WEISS / AFP
This report by Catherine Colonna (here at the UN on February 22, 2024) on UNRWA does not go at all in the same direction as Israel.
PALESTINE – Where is the evidence? Former Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna was, since February, tasked by the UN with evaluating the neutrality of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), after accusations from Israel. She must submit her report this Monday, April 22. And its conclusions, to which several media including the Guardian had access, do not agree with Tel Aviv’s statements.
Since January, Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has accused UNRWA of employing members of terrorist organizations. They even allegedly participated in the attack of October 7. These accusations led several countries, including France, to reduce their funding to the organization, or even to completely stop it in the case of the United States. This while UNRWA is the pillar of humanitarian aid in Gaza and is overwhelmed by demand in the ravaged territory threatened by famine.
However, in her observations, established with the help of three Northern European research institutes, Catherine Colonna explains that Israel has not provided any evidence to support its accusations or to demonstrate that members of UNRWA would really do part of terrorist groups. It also reveals that the UN agency has regularly provided Tel Aviv with lists of its employees for verification purposes, and has done so for years. Yet, “the Israeli government has not informed UNRWA of any concerns regarding its personnel” based on these lists since 2011, we can read in the report.
No evidence to support Israel’s claims
Israel said at least 12 employees of the UN agency were directly involved in the Hamas attack on October 7. Thirty others are believed to have aided or facilitated these crimes and up to 12% of the organization’s personnel are believed to be affiliated with terrorist organizations.
Yet, as the report indicates, Israel has never substantiated these claims. “Israeli authorities have so far provided no supporting evidence or responded to letters from UNRWA in March, and again in April, requesting the names and evidence that would allow UNRWA to open investigation “can we still read in the report, according to an extract cited by the Guardian.
The report also notes that Unrwa has set up an operation ” robust “ to ensure its neutrality, even if problems remain in this area, reports the agency Reuters.
The Colonna report also underlines that Unrwa remains “ a central actor in the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance and essential social services » and that it is thus « irreplaceable and essential to the human and economic development of the Palestinians”.
It is also specified that, contrary to what Israel claims, UNRWA “has a more developed approach to neutrality than other similar UN or NGO entities”. Tel Aviv had in fact accused the UN organization of promoting anti-Semitic thoughts in its schools via Palestinian Authority textbooks. The report finds very little evidence to support these claims.
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