The United Nations is once again under fire for its role in facilitating Hamas activities in Gaza, following new revelations about its actions.
The recent controversy centers on Hamas’s denial of the Holocaust and the role of a UN agency in Gaza, which has been criticized for enabling the terrorist group’s disinformation efforts and its bias against Israel.
On Wednesday at 3:48 CET, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ official Twitter account reported that “Former hostages Romi, Emily, and Doron were held in United Nations shelters in Gaza, which were meant for civilians. The UN refuses to condemn Hamas for hiding hostages in civilian spaces.” This statement highlighted concerns about the UN’s failure to condemn Hamas’s actions, despite the sheltering of hostages in facilities meant to protect civilians.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry linked to a broadcast by Israeli TV channel 13 on the same day, which revealed that “Two days after being released from Hamas captivity, after 471 days in captivity, Rumi Gonen, Emily Demari and Doron Steinbracher begin to recount today (Tuesday) what they experienced, the conditions of their captivity, as well as the places where they were held in the Gaza Strip by Hamas terrorists since they were kidnapped on October 7.” This report detailed the traumatic experiences of the former hostages, shedding light on their time in captivity and the locations where they were held.
The Israeli station further reported: “Conversations with the returnees show that during their time in Hamas captivity, they were hidden for part of the time in UN shelters, in the camps intended for the civilian population that the UN established during the war and which are supposed to be areas where people stay and are provided with food and water. The terrorists took advantage of the UN camps to house the hostages there, knowing that the IDF would not attack the compound, thus also providing themselves with security.” This revelation underscores how Hamas exploited UN facilities to shield themselves from Israeli military actions, using civilians and UN shelters as a cover.
Since the brutal Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which led to the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the kidnapping of more than 200 others, new details about the involvement of UNRWA officials in Gaza have surfaced. The UN agency, which operates in Gaza, has been linked to the attack, and reports soon after the assault revealed that UN officials had celebrated the Hamas attack on Israel. In response to these findings, the US State Department suspended its funding to UNRWA last year.
On October 24, 2023, UN Secretary-General António Guterres sparked further controversy by justifying the Hamas attacks against Israel, claiming that they “did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.” His remarks echoed the terrorists’ narrative, seemingly attempting to excuse the violence. It raises the question of whether Guterres was aware that hostages were being held within UN facilities while he made these statements.
{Matzav.com}