Around 10% of UNRWA employees in Gaza have ties to terror groups, the Wall Street Journal reported, quoting intelligence groups.
At least 12 UNRWA employees participated directly in the October 7 massacre: Six were part of the wave of terrorists who breached the border fence and participated in the assault, two helped kidnap Israelis, two were tracked to sites where scores of Israelis were massacred, and other coordinated logistics for the attack - including the procurement of weapons.
Intelligence reports also noted that a 13th UNRWA employee not clearly affiliated with a terror group also entered Israel on October 7, WSJ noted.
According to the report, "around 1,200 of UNRWA’s roughly 12,000 employees in Gaza have links to Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and about half have close relatives" who belong to the terror groups.
UNRWA claims that at least 152 staffers have been killed in the war against Israel. It is not clear if these staffers were among those who have ties to terror groups.
WSJ quoted a senior Israeli official as saying, "UNRWA's problem is not just ‘a few bad apples’ involved in the October 7 massacre. The institution as a whole is a haven for Hamas’ radical ideology."
An UNRWA spokesperson declined to comment to WSJ, saying that an internal UN investigation is ongoing.