Israel claims report into UN group’s role in Oct 7 is ‘flawed’

Israel has complained that the UN’s interim report on whether its workers took part in the Hamas massacre of Oct 7 only contains “cosmetic” changes to the group’s structure, according to a letter seen by The Telegraph.

In the letter, Amir Weissbrod, Israel’s deputy director general for UN and international organisations division, expressed concern about the findings of a UN-appointed review group, which is investigating allegations against United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the branch of the group that works in Gaza.

The report is due to be published on Monday.

Mr Weissbrod, wrote that the interim report has “positive and accurate observations” about UNRWA’s “fundamental flaws”. He said that it fails to suggest concrete and realistic solutions to violations of neutrality, incitement in UNRWA schools, and Hamas’ use of its facilities.

Instead, Israel claims, the review group’s recommendations focus on “minor cosmetic changes and reforms in the structure of the organisation, [such as] adding budget and personnel resources to guarantee UNRWA’s neutrality, conducting training for employees, increasing dialogue with donors and adding internal audits.”

The review group was established in early February following the suspension of 12 UNRWA workers whom Israel accused of taking part in the Oct 7 massacre. One staff member was caught on surveillance camera kidnapping an Israeli man in Kibbutz Be’eri on that day.

Israel has since provided what it says is more evidence of 2,135 UNRWA workers’ ties to terrorist groups such as Islamic Jihad and Hamas, as well as details of Hamas’ tunnels under UNRWA’s main HQ in Gaza. The accusations and dismissal of UNRWA staff led to a number of countries freezing funds to the agency, including the UK, which is among the top donors.

When approached for comment, an UNRWA spokesman said they could not respond until the investigations had concluded.

Mr Weissbrod’s letter was sent to Catherine Colonna, the review group’s chairman, after results of their interim report revealed what Israel called “major gaps between diagnosis and the conclusions”.

The Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (Impact-se), the only NGO invited to testify and provide evidence to the review group, provided a 245-page dossier of what it says is evidence of “institutional hate-teaching” in UNRWA textbooks in Gaza.

Glorification of jihad

The Telegraph has seen the dossier, which provided evidence ranging from glorification of jihad, terror and anti-Semitism, to teaching children that Israel doesn’t exist. It also claims UNRWA textbooks state that “zionists” control the media, money and politics, that martyrs fighting infidels will go to paradise, and that jihad to protect the homeland is encouraged.

The dossier also included evidence of UNRWA school events celebrating the Oct 7 massacre and UNRWA teachers and staff applauding the attack on social media.

Most of the examples of violations of neutrality in textbooks have already been published in recent years but some haven’t, including an incident on Dec 10 last year at UNRWA Qalqilya basic school for boys, where a grade 5 student cites from the poem “I am a Palestinian child” that incites violence against Zionists and promotes martyrdom.

“I despise the people of Zion, to Hell with those damned people,” it read.

“Let’s sharpen our piercing swords and fight every accursed [Zionist],” and “I love death and seek it” are among the verses in the poem, according to IMPACT-se.

Marcus Sheff, Impact-se’s chief executive, said: “The devastating evidence presented by Impact-se on institutional hate-teaching in UNRWA textbooks and schools would convince any fair-minded investigative panel of the agency’s unacceptable complicity in terror.

“Should the UN’s internal review fail to reach this conclusion, an independent, external investigation must immediately be set up to ensure that UNRWA no longer continues in its role.”

Israel has publicly called on UNRWA to be dissolved, but other nations have defended the agency, saying its work with Palestinian civilians is vital, as most rely on its help.

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal in February, a US intelligence assessment concluded that some UNRWA staff members took part in Oct 7, but that it can’t verify Israel’s accusations that more than 2,000 workers have links to terror groups.

The Danish Institute for Human Rights, one of the NGOs participating in the review group’s investigation, declined to comment when The Telegraph reached out for comment.