GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), The General Conference of Local Staff Unions at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has rejected the dismissal of 70 employees in Gaza, describing the decision as arbitrary and taken without a fair investigation that would safeguard the employees’ rights and dignity.
In a statement issued Thursday, the unions said UNRWA commissioner-general informed Gaza staff representatives of the decision during an emergency meeting attended by union leaders and the agency’s Gaza director.
According to the statement, the dismissals were based on information provided by Israeli authorities alleging that the employees had links to Hamas. Union representatives strongly opposed the move, saying that terminating employees without a transparent and impartial investigation violates principles of justice and due process.
The unions stressed that employees must be presumed innocent until proven guilty and warned that relying on unverified allegations could expose other staff members to similar actions in the future.
They noted that the decision comes at a time when both UNRWA employees and Gaza residents are facing extremely difficult humanitarian and economic conditions, making the consequences of the dismissals particularly severe for affected families.
The unions called on the UNRWA Commissioner-General to immediately reverse the decision and launch a fair, professional investigation that guarantees employees’ rights and ensures equitable outcomes.
Separately, the Joint Committee for Palestinian Refugees expressed deep concern over the dismissals, describing them as a dangerous precedent that undermines the principles of justice and fairness on which the United Nations was founded.
The committee criticized the reliance on allegations originating from Israeli authorities without the publication of findings from an independent and transparent legal investigation. It warned that such measures could further efforts to weaken UNRWA and undermine its humanitarian mission.
The committee urged the UN, donor countries, and international actors to protect UNRWA’s independence and prevent the politicization of its administrative decisions. It also called for the immediate reversal of the dismissals and for any actions against agency employees to be based on clear evidence, due process, and fair legal procedures.
