The United Nations' top humanitarian aid official stated that he has "not seen a shred of evidence" suggesting the UN was involved in the holding of hostages in Gaza, either through the use of its facilities or by its staff. Speaking to Fox News Digital on Thursday, Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), dismissed allegations that former Hamas hostages were detained in UN-run buildings or by UN personnel. "I have not seen a shred of evidence so far, and I have asked for it, that suggests that UN – that there was any UN acquiescence in there or involvement in using UN buildings or UN staff being involved in holding those hostages," Fletcher claimed. He further emphasized that any confirmed involvement of a UN worker in acts of terrorism or hostage-taking would warrant an immediate investigation. "If we get evidence of a UN worker involved in an act of terrorism or hostage-taking, yes of course we’re going to investigate," stated Fletcher, who offered to personally lead the inquiry. However, Emily Damari, a former Hamas hostage who was freed after 470 days in captivity, said that she was held at an UNRWA facility while in captivity. Damari, who holds both British and Israeli citizenship, told British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that she was denied adequate medical care while being detained at an UNRWA school. Fletcher acknowledged that Hamas may have used the facility but insisted that the UN had no control over it at the time. "It was a shelter that had been used by the UN before we were bombed out of it by the Israelis," he claimed, according to Fox News Digital . Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, called for an official investigation into Damari’s claims. "We believe the testimonies of the Israeli hostages who went through hell in Hamas captivity. Rather than dedicating ample resources and efforts to demonizing Israel, the UN should be thoroughly investigating these very serious claims about U.N. complicity in depraved Hamas terrorism," Danon said in a statement to Fox News Digital . UNRWA has long been criticized for its cooperation with Hamas and that criticism has increased since Israel revealed a year ago that UNRWA staff participated in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks. It then presented a dossier showing that the UNRWA workers who participated in the Hamas massacre kidnapped a woman, handed out ammunition and actively took part in the massacre at Kibbutz Be’eri, where 97 people were murdered. Related articles: 'These are the ministers who allow UNRWA's activities in Israel' Qatar files international court complaint against Israel 'Gaza is a failed experiment - we must take a new approach' 'US tax dollars should never fund terrorism' Following the Israeli revelations, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the creation of a review group, headed by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, to look into the Israeli allegations. The group, which released its report last April, said it found neutrality-related issues" in UNRWA but also claimed that Israel had yet to provide evidence for allegations that a significant number of its staff were members of terrorist organizations. (Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)
