A somber United Nations memorial ceremony, intended to honor fallen U.N. employees, has ignited a firestorm of criticism after it was revealed that one of the individuals commemorated was Imad Youssif El Samhouri, a teacher and principal for UNRWA who was later identified by Hamas as a field commander in the Al-Qassam Brigades. Secretary-General António Guterres, alongside other senior U.N. officials, participated in the candle-lighting, with El Samhouri’s name being read aloud as part of the tribute to the 136 employees who died in 2025. Guterres himself had stated during the ceremony that “more U.N. colleagues have been killed in Gaza than in any other conflict or disaster in the history of the United Nations,” a statement now viewed with profound irony and anger. Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, has penned an open letter demanding an apology from Guterres and General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, asserting that this incident demonstrates UNRWA’s inability or unwillingness to purge terrorists from its ranks. While a UN spokesperson claimed the agency was unaware of El Samhouri’s alleged ties when his name was included, and suggested that Israel had not raised concerns previously, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon fiercely condemned the U.N.’s response as an “outrageous” failure to condemn terrorist crimes and a sign that the organization has “lost its moral compass.” Further evidence has emerged, including social media posts allegedly from El Samhouri glorifying terrorism and praising Hamas attacks, as well as a martyr video where he speaks of “jihad” and “resistance” from within what appears to be a Hamas tunnel. UN Watch asserts that this is indicative of a systemic failure, with hundreds of UNRWA employees allegedly linked to terror groups, and calls for the dismantling of UNRWA rather than reform. A senior State Department official noted that an ongoing USAID Office of Inspector General investigation into 1,500 UNRWA employees for alleged Hamas ties is revealing the “pervasive extent to which UNRWA has aided and abetted Hamas,” with referrals made to the State Department for suspension or barring from U.S.-funded organizations, underscoring the gravity of the alleged infiltration.
Adapted from: Latest World News on Fox News
