UNRWA staff ‘celebrated October 7 massacre’, watchdog finds

Members of a telegram group intended for UNRWA staff in Gaza glorified and cheered on Hamas on October 7, UN Watch has revealed. 

The telegram group, which Jewish News has seen, is full of messages on October 7, praising Hamas’ attack on Israel, with some posting pictures of terrorists in Sderot.

One member posted a picture of Israelis on the ground with Hamas terrorists standing over them with a text saying “Oh God, your victory which you promised” while another posted a picture of a Hamas attack in Israel, saying “majestic scenes.”

Another member posted a picture of a Hamas terrorist in a tunnel, saying: “Today we attack them and not the other way around. Israel is finished and will be destroyed with God’s help.”

A picture of a suicide vest was accompanied by the text “Beware, Jews” while one of the administrators of the group simply said: “Let’s execute the first settler nearby.”

According to UN Watch, one of the group’s administrators is a UNRWA teacher named Waseem Ula who has posted info on salaries from UNRWA Gaza education chief Sami Abu Kamil but also called to kill Israelis.

Another UNRWA teacher, Abdallah Mehjez, urged Palestinian civilians not to listen to Israel’s warnings and move out of harm’s way but instead to serve as human shields. Mehjez has previously worked for BBC, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Shatha Husam Al Nawajha also a UNRWA teacher, according to UN Watch, wrote: “They breastfed Jihad with their mothers’ milk. May Allah grant them victory,” on October 7.

A UNRWA representative told Jewish News that some of the members of the group are definitely UNRWA staff, but that it was impossible to verify if all 3,000 members of the group were.

The purpose of the group is for its members to discuss matters such as salary and contracts.