IDF implicates more UNRWA officials in October 7 massacre following release of recordings

The IDF on Monday night revealed the name of four additional UNRWA officials about whom it said it has “decisive proof” of their involvement in the October 7 massacre, to be added to the 12 previous names disclosed.

The names of the UNRWA officials have been disclosed as Yusuf Zidan Suliman Alhajri, Behr Mahmud Abdallah Dariush, Assan al-Jabari, and Mamdouh Hassij Ahmad al-Kahk.

According to the IDF, each of the four have set roles in UNRWA in health, education, and other positive roles while wearing a dual hat with set, sometimes senior roles, in terror groups.

Part of the evidence was proving that the UNRWA officials were in Israeli territory in the South at the time of the October 7 massacre.

In addition, the IDF said it can confirm that 400 UNRWA officials are affiliated with Palestinian terror groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Next, the IDF released two recordings of UNRWA officials discussing their roles in the October 7 massacre.

What did the recordings say?

One recording appears to be from the afternoon of October 7 after the morning massacre in which one of the UNRWA officials refers to Israeli women who were attacked and taken captive in Arabic as “property.”

An IDF official said the discussion of Israeli women as property was similar to the way that ISIS referred to women in their fanatical extremist publications.

The IDF’s disclosures came as two UN reports were expected to come out, including addressing allegations against Israeli soldiers or prison officers for alleged sexual and other crimes and abuses against Palestinian detainees.

IDF Spokesperson in Arabic, Avichai Edri, made a post on X (formerly Twitter) analyzing the audio recordings and the language that was used.

أنتم تعرفون معنى مصطلح السبايا والدلالات المرتبطة به أليس كذلك؟كشفنا اليوم تسجيلات صوتية لمخربين تسللوا إلى أراضي إسرائيل في السابع من أكتوبر حيث يتباهى أحد المخربين بالمشاركة في الفظائع في غلاف غزة وإلقاء القبض على (السبايا).السبايا في الإسلام مصطلح يصف النساء والأطفال فقط،… pic.twitter.com/rSX4Iu5eZE

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) March 4, 2024

UNRWA head warns of 'concerted campaign' to end its operations

The head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency warned on Monday of "a deliberate and concerted campaign" aimed at ending its operations as Israel accused the organization of employing over 450 "military operatives" from Hamas and other armed groups.

Philippe Lazzarini did not specifically address the latest allegations made by the Israeli military on Monday, but he called out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for "openly stating that UNRWA will not be part of post-war Gaza."

"UNRWA is facing a deliberate and concerted campaign to undermine its operations and ultimately end them," Lazzarini - head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)- told the UN General Assembly.

"The implementation of this plan is already underway with the destruction of our infrastructure across the Gaza Strip," he said. "Dismantling UNRWA is short-sighted. By doing so, we will sacrifice an entire generation of children, sowing the seeds of hatred, resentment, and future conflict."

Lazzarini told the 193-member assembly that UNRWA was "functioning hand-to-mouth" after 16 countries paused a total of $450 million in funding when Israel in January accused 12 UNRWA staff of taking part in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants.

The UNRWA staff were fired, and an internal UN investigation was launched.

"The fate of the agency, and the millions of people who depend on it, hang in the balance," Lazzarini told the General Assembly, describing UNRWA as "the backbone of humanitarian assistance in Gaza."

This is a developing story.