UNRWA confirms terrorist killed by IDF who led Re'im shelter massacre was a staffer

IDF says terrorist was armed and refused to surrender, UNRWA claims otherwise

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has confirmed that a terrorist killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday was a member of its staff.

According to the IDF, the terrorist, identified as Alaa Ziad Abu Salah, was armed and refused to surrender when he was shot and killed. The IDF said Abu Salah was responsible for leading the Re'im shelter massacre in March 2002, in which 10 Israeli civilians were killed.

UNRWA, however, claims that Abu Salah was unarmed and was not involved in the massacre. The agency said it is "deeply concerned" about the incident and is calling for an independent investigation.

The IDF's account of the incident is supported by video footage released by the military. The footage shows Abu Salah holding a gun and refusing to surrender. UNRWA's claims that Abu Salah was unarmed are contradicted by the video evidence.

The Israeli government has accused UNRWA of providing support to terrorist groups. In 2018, the US cut funding to UNRWA over concerns that the agency was not doing enough to combat terrorism.