UNRWA employee dismissed over ties to Hamas

Israel’s ambassador to the UN stressed the continued need to ensure that terrorists not be employed by the UN after the reported dismissal of an UNRWA official, who was also a senior Hamas member. 

A Palestinian employee of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) was dismissed by the organization against the backdrop of reports regarding his election to the politburo of the Hamas terrorist organization in control of the Gaza Strip.

“I can confirm that Mr. (Suhail) al-Hindi is no longer working for UNRWA,” said Christopher Gunness, an UNRWA spokesman, in a statement according to The Jerusalem Post. “It is not the policy of the Agency to discuss the terms of departure of individual staff members.”

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon responded to the announcement by emphasizing the continued need to ensure Hamas members be precluded from assuming any UN positions.

“Terrorists do not belong in the UN,” Danon said. “It is time to finally put an end to the absurd situation in which UN employees, who are supposed to focus on humanitarian aid, abuse their positions and work simultaneously with terrorist organizations, who call for the destruction of Israel.”

“The UN must immediately implement strict oversight mechanisms to ensure that such grave occurrences do not occur again in the future,” Danon added.

UNRWA suspended Hindi in February after first denying the allegations made against him. In March, Danon suggested that a probe be conducted into any existing ties between UNRWA and Hamas in light of at least two recent discoveries of Hamas members with employment positions in the organization.

“In light of these disturbing revelations, it is crucial to conduct a thorough investigation of the organization’s operations in order to ensure that no employee who is involved in terror play any role in UNRWA or the UN,” Danon wrote in a letter to ambassadors from a number of countries that financially support UNRWA.

By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News