UN aid chief demands evidence after Israel accuses staff of Hamas links

United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher has asked Israel to provide evidence backing its claim that staff with the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) are linked to Hamas.

At a U.N. Security Council meeting on Wednesday, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said Fletcher and OCHA were no longer neutral, announcing that hundreds of OCHA employees would undergo security vetting and that staff visas would be restricted to one month.

“Israel has uncovered clear evidence of Hamas affiliation within OCHA’s ranks,” Danon told the 15-member council, without presenting proof.

In a letter to the council on Thursday, Fletcher called the accusations “extremely serious” and said this was the first time Israel had raised such concerns. 

“I expect the Israeli authorities to immediately share any evidence that led them to make such claims,” he wrote.

Fletcher said OCHA engages with all sides in conflicts to secure humanitarian access and protect civilians, noting that contacts with Hamas had helped secure hostage releases.

Israel says it is committed to aiding civilians but “will not work with organizations that have chosen politics over principles,” Danon said.

“We must hold all parties to the standards of international law,” Fletcher wrote. “We do not choose between demanding the end to the starvation of civilians in Gaza and demanding the unconditional release of all the hostages.”

Israel, which controls supplies entering Gaza, denies responsibility for food shortages.

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