24-07-2025
UNRWA confirms dismissing four Palestinian teachers in Lebanon
The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) confirmed Thursday that it dismissed four Palestinian teachers in Lebanon in June over what it described as violations of the agency's humanitarian principles and other cases of professional misconduct.
In a statement, UNRWA's Directorate General in Amman said the four employees, who had been suspended since November 2023, were officially terminated on June 23 following an internal investigation by the agency's Office of Internal Oversight Services. The dismissals reportedly came in response to social media posts by the teachers about the war in Gaza — some of which expressed support for Hamas and the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
'The four employees were made aware of the investigation's findings and informed of the conclusions. The actions taken on June 23 are in line with UNRWA's legal framework and zero-tolerance policy for any violations of its regulations, regardless of the person involved,' the agency said. 'All employees' rights were respected, including their right to respond to the accusations.'
The statement added that expressing solidarity with Gaza civilians, including on social media, is not in itself a violation of UNRWA rules — as long as such expressions align with U.N. policies and employees' responsibilities as international civil servants.
UNRWA has come under heavy scrutiny from Israel and the United States, particularly after Israel accused some of its staff of involvement in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that left more than 1,200 Israelis dead.
In September 2024, an Israeli strike killed Fateh Sharif Amin, a teacher, school principal and president of the UNRWA Teachers' Union in Lebanon, who had been suspended for six months. He was later identified as the head of Hamas in Lebanon.
