Editing UNRWA (section)

====Relationship with Hamas====
In October 2004 UNRWA Commissioner-General [[Peter Hansen (UN)|Peter Hansen]] caused controversy in Canada when he said in an interview with [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]] TV:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/canada-looking-at-un-agency-over-palestinian-connection-1.506576|title=Canada looking at UN agency over Palestinian connection|access-date=1 September 2014|archive-date=9 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140909005430/http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/canada-looking-at-un-agency-over-palestinian-connection-1.506576|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title= Hamas: Politics, Charity, and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad|first1= Matthew|last1= Levitt|first2= Dennis|last2= Ross|year= 2007|publisher= Yale University Press|isbn= 9780300122589|page= 95|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=CG-AjU3rraQC&pg=PA95|access-date= 2011-01-19|archive-date= 25 April 2024|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240425133121/https://books.google.com/books?id=CG-AjU3rraQC&pg=PA95#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status= live}}</ref>

<blockquote>Oh I am sure that there are Hamas members on the UNRWA payroll and I don't see that as a crime. Hamas as a political organization does not mean that every member is a militant and we do not do political vetting and exclude people from one persuasion as against another.

We demand of our staff, whatever their political persuasion is, that they behave in accordance with UN standards and norms for neutrality.</blockquote>

Hansen later specified that he had been referring not to active Hamas members, but to Hamas sympathizers within UNRWA. In a letter to the Agency's major donors, he said he was attempting to be honest because UNRWA has over 8,200 employees in the Gaza Strip. Given that opinion polls show 30% support of Hamas in Gaza at the time, and UNRWA's workforce of 11,000 Palestinians, at least some Hamas sympathizers were likely to be among UNRWA's employees. The important thing, he wrote, was that UNRWA's strict rules and regulations ensured that its staff remained impartial UN servants. Hansen was retired from United Nations service against his will on 31 March 2005 after the United States blocked his reappointment.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4191313.stm|title=Unrwa head to go against his will|date=20 January 2005|via=news.bbc.co.uk|access-date=6 December 2010|archive-date=11 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411133049/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4191313.stm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="icej">{{cite web|url=http://nir.icej.org/news/headlines/brief-unrwa-chief-hansen-pushed-out|title=IN BRIEF: UNRWA Chief Hansen Pushed Out &#124; ICEJ Northern Ireland|publisher=nir.icej.org|access-date=2014-09-14|archive-date=7 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907234027/http://nir.icej.org/news/headlines/brief-unrwa-chief-hansen-pushed-out|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="theguardian">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/jan/20/usa.israel|title=Bush forces UN refugee chief to go|work=The Guardian|date=20 January 2005|access-date=2014-09-14|archive-date=5 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305033026/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/jan/20/usa.israel|url-status=live}}</ref>

UNRWA has come under criticism from Hamas for teaching Palestinian students Western values. According to [[Hazem Balousha]], some Hamas officials objected to UNRWA organized trips for Palestinian students to visit [[Holocaust]] remembrance sites. Hamas officials also opposed other UNRWA organized trips for Palestinian students to the US and Europe.<ref>{{cite web |date=9 April 2013 |title=Hamas Gaza Tension UNRWA |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/04/hamas-gaza-tension-unrwa.html#ixzz3AYAQUIx9 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819094747/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/04/hamas-gaza-tension-unrwa.html#ixzz3AYAQUIx9 |archive-date=19 August 2014 |access-date=2014-08-16 |publisher=al-monitor.com}}</ref> According to ''[[The Guardian]]'', Hamas has in some cases threatened UN staff in Gaza.<ref name="theguardian.com">{{cite news |last1=Sherwood |first1=Harriet |date=4 August 2014 |title=UN dragged into conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/04/un-dragged-conflict-israel-hamas-gaza |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119111823/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/04/un-dragged-conflict-israel-hamas-gaza |archive-date=19 January 2024 |access-date=15 September 2014 |agency=The Guardian}}</ref> [[James G. Lindsay]], a former UNRWA general counsel and affiliated with the pro-Israel [[Washington Institute for Near East Policy]] published a report for WINEP in 2009 in which he said UNRWA did not take enough steps to detect and prevent members of Hamas from joining the organization.<ref>[http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=131264 'UNRWA staff not tested for terror ties'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110918034318/http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=131264 |date=18 September 2011 }}, ''[Jerusalem Post]''.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lindsey |first=James |date=2009-01-26 |title=Fixing UNRWA: Repairing the UN's Troubled System of Aid to Palestinian Refugees |url=https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/fixing-unrwa-repairing-uns-troubled-system-aid-palestinian-refugees |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=Washington Institute for Near East Policy |language=en}}</ref>

According to ''[[The Jerusalem Post]]'', Hamas won a teachers union election for UN schools in Gaza in 2009.<ref>[http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Hamas-wins-teachers-union-elections-for-UN-schools-in-Gaza Hamas wins teachers union elections for UN schools in Gaza] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819084509/http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Hamas-wins-teachers-union-elections-for-UN-schools-in-Gaza |date=19 August 2014 }}, ''Jerusalem Post'' 29 March 2009</ref> UNRWA has strongly denied this and pointed out that "Staff elections are conducted on an individual – not party list – basis for unions that handle normal labour relations – not political – issues."<ref>[http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/letter-editor-un-agency-responds LETTER TO THE EDITOR: UN AGENCY RESPONDS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715185942/http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/letter-editor-un-agency-responds |date=15 July 2015 }}, UNRWA 9 April 2009</ref> In addition, [[John Ging]], the Gaza head of operations, said in a letter dated 29 March 2009 that employees must not "be under the influence of any political party in the conduct of their work."<ref>{{cite news|title=Letter obtained by Associated Press|newspaper=Ynetnews|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3695945,00.html|date=1 April 2009|access-date=2014-08-16|archive-date=19 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819105118/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3695945,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Israeli newspaper [[Yedioth Ahronoth]] stated in 2012 that a staff union election resulted in 25 of the 27 seats going to Palestinians who were either Islamist or sympathetic towards Hamas. More than 9,500 UNRWA employees in the Gaza Strip participated; this represented more than 80% turnout. The professional list won three UNRWA workers groups: the employees', teachers', and services' unions.<ref>{{cite web|title=Landslide victory for Hamas bloc in the UNRWA staff union elections|date=18 September 2012|url=http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?_ContentType=ART&_ContentID=fa401655-e672-4a10-ae50-c8d3c51da767|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030163944/http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?_ContentType=ART&_ContentID=fa401655-e672-4a10-ae50-c8d3c51da767|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 October 2014|access-date=9 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/4329-overwhelming-victory-for-islamists-in-unrwa-union-elections|title=Overwhelming Victory for Islamists in UNRWA Union Elections|date=18 September 2012|access-date=2014-08-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819084948/https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/4329-overwhelming-victory-for-islamists-in-unrwa-union-elections|archive-date=19 August 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to the Israeli government , UNRWA employed at least 24 members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad in 24 of its schools; the majority were principals or deputy principals, and several were fighters in the [[Al-Qassam Brigades|Qassam Brigades]].  Also, Israel provided intelligence about 18 UNRWA workers it accused of participating in the [[October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel|October 7, 2023, attacks]].<ref name="g389">{{cite web |last1=Becker |first1=Jo |last2=Rasgon |first2=Adam |date=2024-12-08 |title=Records Seized by Israel Show Hamas Presence in U.N. Schools |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/08/world/middleeast/hamas-unrwa-schools.html |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>