UN Mourned Hamas Commander as Educator, UN Watch Reveals

The United Nations honored Emad Yousef Al-Sammouri, a UNRWA school principal in Gaza, as a fallen educator during its annual memorial ceremony. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres lit a candle in his memory, noting he was one of 136 UN staff killed in the past year, 80 of whom served with UNRWA in Gaza. Guterres stated that UN staff should never be targets and harming them is a violation of international law.

However, Hamas released documentation revealing Al-Sammouri was a commander in the organization's military wing, emerging from tunnels armed and ready for combat. UN Watch, an organization monitoring UN activities, identified Al-Sammouri as the same UNRWA employee honored by the UN. The group highlighted Al-Sammouri's past statements from 2007, where he praised tunnels as a means of resistance and referred to himself as a "living martyr."

Further evidence from Al-Sammouri's social media and UN Watch's investigation showed his open support for terrorism. He posted "exclusive" reports from Hamas fronts, praised "resistance," and shared a video of children celebrating the 2014 kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers. He also took students to meet with Hamas officials and hosted delegations from the terror group at a football club reportedly funded by Ismail Haniyeh, where children were filmed training with weapons.

This revelation follows previous instances linking UNRWA staff to Hamas, including an UNRWA social worker involved in the abduction of Jonathan Samrano on October 7th, and testimonies of hostages held by UNRWA teachers. Israel had previously provided information to the UN about 12 UNRWA employees who participated in the October 7th massacre.

In response to UN Watch's inquiry, the UN stated it was unaware of Al-Sammouri's past at the time of the ceremony and that Israel had not raised concerns about his inclusion on the annual staff list. The UN spokesperson indicated that if official complaints had been made, he likely would not have been honored. UN Watch's director, Hillel Neuer, criticized the UN's response, demanding an apology and an independent investigation into Hamas operatives within the organization.