“UNRWA had no institutional ties to Hamas or the October 7 attacks”
Independent reviews found that UNRWA staff participated in or had prior knowledge of the October 7 attack, and that more than 1,000 UNRWA employees were members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The claim
Following Israel's release of intelligence in January 2024 naming 12 UNRWA employees as participants in the October 7 attacks, defenders of UNRWA argued the agency had no systemic ties to Hamas and that Israeli intelligence was unreliable.
What independent reviews found
UN Secretary-General António Guterres commissioned an independent review led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. The April 2024 Colonna Report found:
- UNRWA's vetting procedures were inadequate and had not been substantially updated in decades.
- There was credible evidence that some UNRWA staff participated in or had prior knowledge of the October 7 attacks.
- UNRWA leadership had not taken sufficient action to address known Hamas infiltration of the agency.
Separately, a USAID review found over 1,000 UNRWA employees were verified members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad — out of roughly 12,000–13,000 Gaza staff.
What Israel's intelligence showed
Israel provided Western governments with a dossier naming 12 employees who it said participated in the October 7 massacre. At least 6 of the 12 resigned or were terminated by UNRWA. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini acknowledged the agency could not fully vet all employees given Gaza's operating environment.
Nuance
None of this means UNRWA's humanitarian mission is invalid or that its entire workforce is compromised. The claim under review is the specific assertion that UNRWA had no institutional ties to Hamas — that claim is false based on the independent review record.
Scale and intent — side by side
October 7 (Hamas): about 770–840 civilians killed in one day. Intent to kill civilians is documented — in Hamas's written orders ("kill as many people as possible"), its fighters' own footage, and its leaders' statements.
Gaza (Israel): civilian deaths in the tens of thousands over two years (the civilian share is disputed, roughly 60% to 83%). Israel's stated aim is to destroy Hamas; warnings and large aid volumes are documented, and several incidents have been acknowledged by the IDF as errors. Intent to kill civilians is alleged, and has not been established by any court.
Both facts matter, and neither cancels the other. Every party's alleged crimes, on one scale: War Crimes Ledger.