Tue Oct 01 04:43:11 UTC 2024: ## UNRWA Chief Denies Knowing Hamas Commander Worked for Agency
**BEIRUT, LEBANON** – The head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, has denied knowing that one of the agency’s employees, Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin, was a Hamas commander in Lebanon.
El-Amin, who led Hamas’s Lebanon branch, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon along with family members, according to Hamas.
Lazzarini acknowledged that el-Amin was suspended from his job and put under investigation in March due to concerns about his affiliations. However, he stated that the specific allegation at the time was that el-Amin was part of the local leadership, not a commander.
A UN spokesperson confirmed that el-Amin had been on unpaid administrative leave since March after reports of his possible high-level involvement with Hamas.
This incident has renewed scrutiny of UNRWA, which has faced criticism for its alleged ties to Hamas and for its handling of funding.
The agency, founded in 1948 to serve Palestinian refugees, has been accused of perpetuating the refugee crisis by refusing to accept solutions that would lead to the absorption of refugees into other countries. The US, under former President Donald Trump, cut support to the agency in 2018, citing concerns about its effectiveness.
However, the Biden administration resumed funding UNRWA in 2021.
Critics argue that the agency’s funding is often used to support Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. The recent revelation of a Hamas commander working for UNRWA adds fuel to this debate.
The incident has once again highlighted the complex and volatile situation in the Middle East and the challenges of providing humanitarian aid in conflict zones.
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