Hamas warns against establishing independent body to monitor UN Palestine agency

By Abdul Jabbar Aburas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Hamas on Saturday warned against the dangers of forming an alternative body to supervise the work of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

The Palestinian group condemned an international report calling for the an independent body to supervise the work of UNRWA amid Israeli accusations that a handful of its employees were involved in the Hamas attacks.

Amid a probe of the claims, several countries have cut off funding to the agency, and its aid work for Gaza's famine-stricken population has suffered.

Condemning the proposal of the report issued by the UN-assigned committee, Hamas said “this falls in the context of malicious plans aimed at ending the agency’s work as a political witness to the Palestinian Nakba."

The “Nakba or Catastrophe” is the event by which nearly 800,000 Palestinians were forcibly expelled from their homes and lands in 1948 after the founding of Israel.

The UN-assigned researchers, led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, commenced its work in February and made extensive field visits.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi