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1,200 UNRWA Staff - Not Just 12 - Have Links to Hamas or Islamic Jihad
(Wall Street Journal) Carrie Keller-Lynn - Around 10% of UNRWA's 12,000 employees in Gaza have links to Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and 49% have close relatives who belong to the Islamist militant groups - both designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S. - according to Israeli intelligence estimates shared with the U.S. Of the 12 employees listed in an intelligence dossier, two helped kidnap Israelis, two others were tracked to sites where scores of Israeli civilians were shot and killed, and others coordinated logistics for the assault, including procuring weapons. UNRWA "as a whole is a haven for Hamas' radical ideology," said a senior Israeli government official. The report said 23% of UNRWA's male employees had ties to Hamas, a higher percentage than the average of 15% for adult males in Gaza, indicating a higher politicization of the agency than the population at large. Since Oct. 7, Hamas has stolen more than $1 million worth of UNRWA supplies, including fuel and trucks, according to the intelligence report. Hamas operatives are deeply enmeshed within the UNRWA aid-delivery enterprise and coordinate transfers for the organization.