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U.N. agency fires 9 staffers after finding they may have been involved in Oct. 7 attack on Israel
The U.N. says it has fired nine staff members from its agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, after an internal investigation found they may have been involved in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack against Israel.
The U.N, secretary-general’s office announced the move in a brief statement to journalists Monday. It did not elaborate on the UNRWA staffers’ likely role in the attack. It said the nine included seven staffers who were fired previously over the claims.
An Israeli intelligence document shared in January with CBS News and a number of other Western news outlets detailed the allegations against a dozen U.N. employees. The document claimed seven staff members stormed into Israeli territory during the Oct. 7 attack, with two staffers allegedly participating in kidnappings.
Ashraf Amra/Anadolu via Getty Images
The U.N.’s internal watchdog has been investigating the agency since Israel in January accused 12 UNRWA staffers of being involved in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel in which militants killed 1,200 people and abducted some 250 others.
Israel’s allegations initially led top donor countries, including the U.S., to suspend their funding for UNRWA, the main agency providing aid to Palestinians in Gaza amid the 10-month old war there. The U.S., the largest funder of the agency, said in January that it would temporarily pause funding while the allegations against staffers were reviewed. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller at the time said the U.S. was “extremely troubled” by the reports, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken told U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres that “there must be complete accountability for anyone who participated in the heinous attacks.”
The pause in funding caused a cash crunch of about $450 million dollars. Since then, all donor countries except for the U.S. have decided to resume funding.
The U.N. watchdog, called the Office of Internal Oversight Services, said it drew on evidence provided by Israel in discussions with Israeli authorities. It said it could not independently corroborate that evidence since it did not have direct access to it. The investigators also reviewed internal UNRWA information, including staff records, email and other communications data.
Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP via Getty Images
It said it found sufficient evidence pointing to nine employees’ potential involvement in the Oct. 7 attack.
“I have decided that in the case of these remaining nine staff members, they cannot work for UNRWA,” the agency’s head Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement.
“The agency’s priority is to continue lifesaving and critical services for Palestine refugees in Gaza and across the region, especially in the face of the ongoing war, the instability and risk of regional escalation,” said Lazzarini, who also said he condemned the Oct. 7 attack.
In nine other cases, the evidence was insufficient, and in one other case there was no evidence pointing to involvement.
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A food company known for popular grocery store condiments has recalled a package of tortilla strips that may be contaminated with wheat, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday. The product is meant to be gluten-free.
Sugar Foods, a manufacturing and distribution corporation focused mainly on various toppings, artificial sweeteners and snacks, issued the recall for the “Santa Fe Style” version of tortilla strips sold by the brand Fresh Gourmet.
“People who have a wheat allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the product,” said Sugar Foods in an announcement posted by the FDA.
Packages of these tortilla strips with an expiration date as late as June 20, 2025, could contain undeclared wheat, meaning the allergen is not listed as an ingredient on the label. The Fresh Gourmet product is marketed as gluten-free.
Sugar Foods said a customer informed the company on Nov. 19 that packages of the tortilla strips actually contained crispy onions, another Fresh Gourmet product normally sold in a similar container. The brand’s crispy onion product does contain wheat, and that allergen is noted on the label.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
No illnesses tied to the packaging mistake have been reported, according to the announcement from Sugar Foods. However, the company is still recalling the tortilla strips as a precaution. The contamination issue may have affected products distributed between Sept. 30 and Nov. 11 in 22 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
Sugar Foods has advised anyone with questions about the recall to contact the company’s consumer care department by email or phone.
CBS News reached out to Sugar Foods for more information but did not receive an immediate reply.
This is the latest in a series of food product recalls affected because of contamination issues, although the others involved harmful bacteria. Some recent, high-profile incidents include an E. coli outbreak from organic carrots that killed at least one person in California, and a listeria outbreak that left an infant dead in California and nine people hospitalized across four different states, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The E. coli outbreak is linked to multiple different food brands while the listeria outbreak stemmed from a line of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products sold by Yu-Shang Foods.
