In brief
An investigation shows that some United Nations staff in Gaza, including school administrators, were found to be operatives of Hamas, undermining the agency's claimed neutrality in conflict zones.
To his students, Ahmad al-Khatib was a deputy principal at an elementary school in Gaza run by the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, yet documents reveal a starkly different role as an infantryman for Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades. Israeli officials have recently shared secret Hamas records which indicate that al-Khatib, an UNRWA employee since 2013, held the title of squad commander, was trained in ground combat, and was entrusted with at least a dozen weapons, including a Kalashnikov rifle and grenades.Following Hamas's October 7 assault on Israel and the subsequent outbreak of warfare, UNRWA schools across Gaza have been closed. The agency, responsible for educating Palestinian refugees, employs around 13,000 individuals including a significant number of educators, and is tasked with ensuring the neutrality of its facilities—specifically prohibiting any militant activities on its premises.However, according to interviews and analyses conducted on the documents shared by the Israeli military and foreign ministry, Mr. al-Khatib is one of at least 24 UNRWA employees across different schools identified as members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad. The records highlight the troubling involvement of these individuals in militant activities, with the majority being top school administrators, including principals and deputy principals, alongside counselors and teachers. This scandal raises concerns about the integrity of UN facilities amid ongoing international conflict.
