UN lays off nine employees over suspected ties to Hamas's Oct. 7 attack

The United Nations dismissed nine of its employees on Monday, from its United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), over suspected ties to Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

The organization conducted an internal probe after allegations were raised that some of the staffers were connected to the attack, which killed 1,200 Israelis. The U.N.'s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) looked at 19 individuals and found that there was sufficient evidence in nine of the cases. 

“I have decided that in the case of these remaining nine staff members, they cannot work for UNRWA. All contracts of these staff members will be terminated in the interest of the Agency,” Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UNRWA, said in a statement.

The agency said appropriate action will be taken for the other 10 employees they investigated. For nine of the other employees, "insufficient evidence" was gathered to support their termination, and no evidence was found for the other individual. 

The Biden administration previously withheld funding for the UNRWA in January, over allegations that some of the staffers were engaged in the attacks. But a different probe earlier this year found that the agency was not compromised by any outside group, according to The Hill.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.