Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield of the United States spoke out at a U.N. Security Council meeting expressing frustration with the Israeli military following strikes that killed multiple UN-aligned personnel in the region. She lamented the “preventable” loss of life caused by the conflict and called for Israel to facilitate humanitarian operations and protect humanitarian workers and facilities, such as the UNRWA school targeted by the IDF in Nusseirat. The Israeli Defense Forces struck a former school converted into a UNRWA civilian shelter, killing 18 people, six of whom were UNRWA personnel.
Danny Danon, the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, rebuked criticism of the strike on the UNRWA shelter, alleging that the agency has become infiltrated by terrorists and terrorist sympathizers. He argued that Hamas had taken over UNRWA and that those killed in the IDF strike were terrorists with blood on their hands, some of whom participated in a massacre in October. Danon provided a list of names linking known Hamas terrorists to the civilian shelter, suggesting that the attack was justified. However, UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma stated that Israeli authorities had not requested the list of staff killed in the attack and that the names provided by the Israeli Army were not flagged to them previously.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield emphasized the ongoing threat of Hamas embedding its members within civilian agencies, stating that Hamas is hiding in, taking over, and using civilian sites to pose an ongoing threat. She called on Hamas to stop using civilian locations for military operations for the sake of innocent people on all sides of the conflict. UNRWA had previously fired nine individuals suspected of participating in the Hamas massacre of over 1,200 people, including more than 30 Americans, on October 7 in southern Israel. The evidence was sufficient for the U.N. to conclude that these individuals may have been involved in the attacks.
The U.S. ambassador’s remarks at the U.N. Security Council meeting reflect growing tensions over the conflict and concerns about the targeting of UN-aligned personnel and facilities by the Israeli Defense Forces. The accusations by the Israeli Ambassador of Hamas infiltration in UNRWA and the justification of the strike on the civilian shelter have further complicated the situation. The call for Israel to protect humanitarian workers and facilities and the need for Hamas to cease using civilian sites for military purposes underline the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The involvement of known terrorists with the attack on the UNRWA shelter and the firing of UNRWA personnel suspected of participating in terrorist activities have added another layer of complexity to the situation. The U.S. ambassador’s call for the protection of innocent civilians on all sides of the conflict and the need for Hamas to stop using civilian sites for military purposes highlights the importance of addressing the root causes of the violence and finding a sustainable solution. The ongoing tensions and accusations between the Israeli military, Hamas, and UNRWA underscore the challenges in achieving a lasting peace in the region and the urgent need for all parties to prioritize the safety and well-being of civilians.
