United Nations Secretary Secretary-General Antonio Guterres vowed on Sunday to hold to account "any UN employee involved in acts of terror" after allegations that some refugee agency staffers were involved in the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
But Guterres implored governments to continue supporting the UN Refugee Agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) after multiple countries paused funding.
"Any UN employee involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution," the UN chief said in a statement. "The Secretariat is ready to cooperate with a competent authority able to prosecute the individuals in line with the Secretariat’s normal procedures for such cooperation."
UNRWA workers 'should not be penalized'
At the same time, he said, "The tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many in some of the most dangerous situations for humanitarian workers, should not be penalized. The dire needs of the desperate populations they serve must be met."
In his first direct comments on the issue, the UN chief gave details about the UNRWA staffers implicated in the "abhorrent alleged acts."
Of the 12 implicated, he said, nine had been terminated, one was confirmed dead, and the identities of the other two were being clarified.
Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Finland on Saturday joined the United States, Australia, and Canada in pausing funding to the aid agency, a critical source of support for people in Gaza, after the allegations by Israel.
"While I understand their concerns – I was myself horrified by these accusations - I strongly appeal to the governments that have suspended their contributions to, at least, guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s operations," Guterres said.
Earlier on Saturday, the head of the UNRWA said that nine countries' decisions to suspend funding over allegations staff were involved in the October 7 attacks on Israel was shocking and urged them to reverse course.
"These decisions threaten our ongoing humanitarian work across the region, including and especially in the Gaza Strip," Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement.