UNRWA Chief Denies Knowledge of Employee's Hamas Ties Amid Israeli Accusations

UNRWA Chief Philippe Lazzarini denied knowledge of employee Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin's Hamas commander status. Abu el-Amin was killed in an Israeli strike. Lazzarini urged U.N. states to counter Israeli attacks on UNRWA and criticized Israel's move to label the organization as 'terrorist,' calling it unconscionable.

UNRWA Chief Philippe Lazzarini on Monday denied knowing that employee Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin was a Hamas commander in Lebanon and urged states to resist Israeli attacks on the agency.

Lazzarini explained that Abu el-Amin, killed in an Israeli strike, had been suspended over political allegations. Lazzarini stated he was unaware of Abu el-Amin's commander status.

He called out Israel's attempts to label UNRWA as a 'terrorist body,' describing it as 'absolutely unconscionable,' and noted UNRWA's role in aiding Palestinian refugees, including those displaced by recent conflicts in Lebanon.

(With inputs from agencies.)