Philippe Lazzarini, the leader of the UN agency for “Palestinian refugees,” UNRWA, stated on Monday that he was unaware one of the agency’s staff members, Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin, held the position of a Hamas commander in Lebanon, according to a report by Reuters.

Hamas previously declared that el-Amin, who was in charge of its operations in Lebanon, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon alongside family members.

Lazzarini confirmed that el-Amin had been suspended from his position and was under investigation since March due to worries about his connections, noting, “The specific allegation at the time was that (he was) a part of the local leadership… I never heard the word commander before. What’s obvious for you today, was not obvious yesterday.”

Stephane Dujarric, a spokesperson for the UN, verified that el-Amin had been on unpaid administrative leave since March, right after UNRWA received information suggesting his potential senior involvement with Hamas.

“As soon as UNRWA received information about his possible involvement with Hamas at a senior level – action was taken,” Dujarric explained, as quoted by Reuters. “Every time UNRWA has received information beyond just a name, action has been taken.”

He stressed, “Anyone who works for the UN and engages in terror, terror-like activity is unacceptable and outrageous and an insult to all UN staff members around the world.”

During a press conference following a meeting with UN member states on Monday, Lazzarini urged them to “push back on all the reputational attacks on the agency and the ongoing drafting of bills which could be adopted in Jerusalem.”

This statement references a legislative effort in the Israeli parliament aimed at designating UNRWA as a “terrorist organization,” a proposal that has already passed an initial vote. Lazzarini expressed that such a label would be “absolutely unconscionable.”

UNRWA has faced ongoing criticism for its ties to Hamas, which has intensified as it was revealed that its personnel were directly involved in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.

In January of this year, Israel alleged that UNRWA employees took part in the October 7 Hamas attacks, subsequently presenting a dossier that indicated UNRWA workers were involved in the kidnapping of a woman, distributing ammunition, and actively participating in the massacre at Kibbutz Be’eri, where 97 individuals were killed.

Following these Israeli claims, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the formation of a review committee led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to investigate the allegations made by Israel.

The committee released its findings in April, which identified “neutrality-related issues” within UNRWA but also stated that Israel had not yet provided proof that a large number of its employees were members of terrorist groups.

Recently, however, the UN conceded for the first time that some UNRWA employees might have been implicated in Hamas’ massacre in Israel on October 7.

Lazzarini has resisted calls from Israel for his resignation, consistently claiming ignorance regarding the extent of Hamas’s involvement in UNRWA, while continuing to accuse Israel of attempting to “erase UNRWA.”

{Matzav.com Israel}