At a heated Security Council session, Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon sharply confronted Tom Fletcher, the UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, over his briefing on Gaza. Danon said Fletcher criticized Israel and described obstacles to aid deliveries, but failed to mention Hamas as the main barrier to improving the humanitarian situation.
“Why do you refuse to call the problem by its name?” Danon asked, arguing that “the humanitarian situation will not improve, Gaza will not be rebuilt and the war will not end as long as Hamas remains armed.” His remarks came in response to Fletcher’s presentation on the crisis in the Strip, which Danon said omitted Hamas’s role and responsibility in the ongoing emergency.
Danon also raised concerns about UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees, after it dismissed dozens of staff members operating in Gaza. He demanded official and transparent explanations about the extent to which Hamas operatives have infiltrated the agency’s structures.
According to Danon, UNRWA fired 70 employees this week over “safety and security risks.” He said the dismissals show the UN can no longer deny the issue, adding that Israel has warned for years about Hamas penetration of UNRWA while the UN repeatedly denied it. “If there is no terrorism problem in UNRWA, what exactly were 70 employees fired for?” he asked.
