UN ambassador criticizes Israeli military, calls for 'fundamental changes'
The reliability of UNRWA and whether it is compromised by Hamas-aligned actors is a source of intense controversy in the United Nations
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The United States' Ambassador to the United Nations is expressing frustration with the Israeli military following strikes that killed multiple UN-aligned personnel in the region.
Amb. Linda Thomas-Greenfield spoke out at the U.N. Security Council meeting on Monday, where she lamented the "preventable" loss of life caused by the conflict.
"We will continue to raise the need for Israel to facilitate humanitarian operations, and protect humanitarian workers and facilities, such as the UNRWA school targeted by the IDF last week in Nusseirat," Thomas-Greenfield said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Linda Thomas-Greenfield, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, speaks after a meeting of the United Nations Security Council at United Nations headquarters. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
UNRWA refers to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
She continued, "We have also been unequivocal in communicating to Israel that there is no basis – absolutely none – for its forces to be opening fire on clearly marked UN vehicles, as recently occurred on numerous occasions."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A former school converted into a UNRWA civilian shelter was struck last week by the Israeli Defense Forces, killing 18 people. Six of those killed were UNRWA personnel.
The Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, previously rebuked criticism of the strike on the UNRWA shelter, asserting that the entire agency has become overrun with terrorists and terrorist sympathizers — including personnel at the destroyed shelter.
ISRAEL'S UN AMBASSADOR SLAMS WORLD BODY, SAYS UNRWA TAKEN OVER BY HAMAS TERRORISTS IN GAZA
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Israeli soldiers take up position next to buildings destroyed by the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
"How long will the U.N. continue to bury its head in the sand and ignore the fact that Hamas terrorists have taken over UNRWA?" Danon asked this week. "Those who were killed yesterday (Wednesday) in the IDF strike were nine terrorists with blood on their hands, and some of them participated in the barbaric massacre on October 7."
Danon provided a list of names ostensibly connecting known Hamas terrorists to the civilian shelter.
When approached by Fox News Digital, Juliette Touma, a UNRWA spokesperson, claimed that "Israeli authorities have not requested UNRWA officially to provide them with the list of staff killed in yesterday’s attack on the UNRWA school." She added, "The names that appear on today’s statement from the Israeli Army have not been flagged to us before by the Israeli authorities in previous occasions prior to today."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The U.S. ambassador did note on Monday the ongoing threat of Hamas embedding its members within civilian agencies.
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Palestinians protest outside the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Gaza City against the reduction of food aid provided for the refugees. (Majdi Fathi/TPS)
"At the same time, we continue to see Hamas hiding in, and taking over, and otherwise using civilian sites to conduct operations and pose an ongoing threat," said Thomas-Greenfield. "There’s no clearer evidence of Hamas’ total indifference to Palestinian civilians in Gaza. For their sake, and the sake of innocent people on all sides of this conflict – this must stop."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Nine individuals were fired by UNRWA last month after it was found they likely participated in the Hamas slaughter of 1,200 people, including more than 30 Americans, on Oct. 7 in southern Israel.
"For nine people, the evidence was sufficient to conclude that they may have been involved in the 7th of October attacks," Farhan Haq, spokesperson for the U.N. secretary general said during a press briefing.
Fox News Digital's Benjamin Weinthal contributed to this report.