USAID watchdog says UNRWA Oct. 7 staff investigation had ‘major deficiencies’
Though OIOS complained that it had only been provided copies of the evidence because the originals remained in Israel’s custody, USAID OIG said that there was no reason to doubt their authenticity.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has criticized the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) for finding "major deficiencies" in its investigation into 19 United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) staff members accused of involvement in the October 7 attacks on Israel.
The OIG found that OIOS was unable to independently authenticate evidence presented to it by Israel, and that there was insufficient evidence to substantiate allegations against nine of the staff members. Additionally, the USAID OIG noted that OIOS had no reason to suspect that the materials provided were not genuine, and that there was no reason to doubt the authenticity of the evidence.
The OIG also criticized OIOS for the limited scope of its investigation, which only examined claims of involvement in the armed attacks of October 7, and did not examine whether current or former staff members were members of Hamas. The report also highlighted the fact that UNRWA employees terminated in January 2024 may go on to work for other organizations, some of which receive US taxpayer funding, due to the way their terminations were characterized.
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