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The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the UN agency that perpetuates eternal refugee status for Arabs who fled their homes in Israel during the 1948 (and in some cases, the 1967) war, has posted a statement demanding documentation of claims that its staff collaborates with Hamas in Gaza.
Watch Camp Jihad, a short doc about UNRWA's support for Palestinian terrorism. https://t.co/LeEx0thK7w pic.twitter.com/zVTFbxWbRk
— Jordan Schachtel @ dossier.today (@JordanSchachtel) December 1, 2023
The demand itself is laughable since there is so much documentation out there that anyone could spend an entire night reading it all.
The agency’s outrage was sparked by testimony from one of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza since being kidnapped on October 7 by the terrorists during their invasion and massacre of more than a thousand people. At least 240 others were abducted by the terrorists and dragged back into Gaza.
One of the hostages told Israeli officials after being released that they were held captive at the home of an UNRWA school teacher, in the attic. The information – as have numerous reports during past conflicts – clearly implicates the close involvement of the agency with Gaza’s terrorist rulers.
UNRWA demanded in a lengthy statement posted on the X social platform that the report be removed and “documentation” be submitted.
That post did not go unanswered. Readers responded in droves.
? Spreading unsubstantiated claims about @UNRWA must stop immediately.
Making serious allegations in the public domain, unsupported by any evidence or verifiable facts in support thereof may amount to misinformation.
FULL Statement ⬇️https://t.co/gzNCMnVeif pic.twitter.com/1XGV99RbXw
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) December 1, 2023
Multiple readers noted that claims against UNRWA have been documented for a long time.
Hi @UNRWA ?
Recognize this badge? ? It is your employee, who also happens to be a Hamas terrorist.Another employee of yours held an Israeli child hostage in his attic for 50 days, almost starving him to death. pic.twitter.com/OmH0aLVBIp
— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) December 1, 2023
Here’s the UNRWA statement, in full.
“UNRWA has been following the traction of a post by an Israeli journalist on the social media platform X. The post claims that there is an alleged connection between an Israeli hostage held in Gaza and an UNRWA school teacher. The journalist did not provide more information on this claim.
“UNRWA and other entities in the United Nations have asked the journalist to provide more information on what we consider to be a very serious allegation. Despite repeated demands, the journalist has not responded.
“UNRWA requests that the journalist provides an immediate clarification of the claims, and that whoever may be able to assist us in determining the facts comes forward.
“In the absence of credible information to support this claim, UNRWA requests that the journalist immediately deletes the post. Making serious allegations in the public domain, unsupported by any evidence or verifiable facts in support thereof may amount to misinformation.
“UNRWA reiterates that it takes all allegations of breach of UN principles extremely seriously and immediately investigates them. We are hence determined to find out whether the information in question is genuine or false.
“UNRWA is the largest humanitarian organization in the Gaza Strip and is currently hosting more than 1 million people in its shelters. Defamation attacks and the spread of misinformation about UNRWA -from any side- directly endanger the lifesaving operations of the Agency and its staff operating on the ground.
“These harmful and presumably gratuitous acts must stop, immediately.”
One respondent methodically documented each statement, as requested by the UN agency, using mostly foreign sources.
“The headmaster of an UNRWA school was a terrorist.” This statement was documented by the Reuters news agency, not generally seen as a friend of Israel.
https://www.reuters.com/article/middleeastCrisis/idUSL05686115/
Film by David Bedein in Jenin, UNWRA policies and practices.
UNRWA teachers celebrated Oct 7 massacre. (UN Watch)
UNRWA teacher holds hostage in attic. (Washington Examiner)
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/united-nations-gaza-teacher-israeli-hostage-attic
The Washington Examiner also noted in its article that the UN agency itself “is aware of and attempting to get to the bottom of a claim that one of its teachers detained one of the Israeli hostages . . . UNWRA is in contact with the author of this allegation and whoever may be in a position to assist us in determining the facts.”
A brief interview with the Hamas collaborator might be helpful, depending of course on who does the questioning. But regardless, it is unlikely that any individual cooperating with Hamas would be likely to admit to that crime — particularly if he is receiving a generous salary from UNRWA.