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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) said on Monday that it has taken note with "utmost concern" of recent serious accusations regarding the alleged involvement of staff members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023, stating that these allegations should be subject to "immediate and thorough investigation" by the UN.
"We welcome the swift reaction of UNRWA leadership to terminate with immediate effect the contracts of the persons concerned and we express our full confidence that the investigations launched by the UN, which are also under the attention of the Secretary General of the organization, will clarify the situation as soon as possible," reads the Foreign Ministry's press release sent to AGERPRES.
MAE specifies that, until the investigation is completed, it will not launch procedures for new voluntary contributions to UNRWA.
"The needs of Palestinian civilians will continue to be a priority for Romania, and we will continue to coordinate with our partners, including at European level," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalls that Romania has strongly condemned, from the very beginning, the Hamas attacks against Israel on 7 October 2023, "deeming the terrorist acts unacceptable, expressing regret for the victims, condemning the hostage-taking and calling for their release".
"All these elements are fully in line with Romania's established, principled position on the situation in the Middle East and the Peace Process in the region, with emphasis on the two-state solution," the MAE added.
Israel on Friday accused several UNRWA employees of participating in the Hamas attack on the south of the country on October 7. The unprecedented terrorist attack carried out by Hamas caused the deaths of some 1,140 people in Israel, mostly civilians.
In response, Israel vowed to "wipe out" the Palestinian Islamist movement - designated as terrorists by the US and the European Union - and launched a major operation in the Gaza Strip that left 26,422 dead, according to a death toll released Sunday by the Hamas-led Health Ministry.
