Danon Announces U.N. Screening of Film on Hamas Infiltration of UNRWA

Israel’s U.N. ambassador, Danny Danon, announced on November 2 that dozens of ambassadors and diplomats would attend a special screening at the United Nations that day. He identified the film as UNraveling UNRWA and described it as exposing Hamas’s infiltration of the U.N. agency. Danon’s announcement presented the screening as an opportunity for diplomats to see the film’s account of that infiltration. He said: “This is a reality that can no longer be ignored.” His post described the attendance as forthcoming, rather than reporting the outcome of a completed screening. The agency previously faced an internal U.N. investigation into allegations that 19 of its area staff members in Gaza had participated in the October 7 attacks on southern Israel. In a statement dated August 5, 2024, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini set out different findings for those employees. One case had no supporting evidence, and that employee rejoined the agency; nine other cases were closed because the evidence was insufficient. For the remaining nine employees, Lazzarini said the evidence, if authenticated and corroborated, could indicate that they may have been involved. He decided that those nine could not work for UNRWA and said their contracts would be terminated. That statement concerned the 2024 investigation; Danon’s November 2 announcement concerns the planned film screening for diplomats.