The head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Teachers’ Union in Lebanon was exposed this weekend as a key figure in Hamas, according to a new report presented to the Dutch Parliament.
The report revealed that Fathi al-Sharif, aka Fateh Abo Amin al-Sharif, oversees 39,000 students in 65 schools. On October 7th, Al-Sharif publicly praised the Hamas massacre in southern Israel, writing on his Facebook page over and over in Arabic the jihadist war cry, “Allahu Akbar” (“Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest, Praise be to Allah”).
Despite his exposure as a key Hamas figure and the findings of the Colonna Report investigation that was launched on February 5, the UN agency has yet to fire him.
(Former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna launched the report into allegations from Israel that UNRWA was no longer neutral in the ongoing conflict, and that UNRWA workers had contributed to the October 7th attacks on Israel.)
On February 26, as the agency came under public scrutiny, UNRWA’s chief in Lebanon, Dorothy Klaus summoned al-Sharif, who was one of the protest leaders and the principal of UNRWA’s Deir Yassin High School, as well as head of the UNRWA Lebanon Teachers’ Union.
Klaus informed al-Sharif that he had until March 2 to resign or face an investigation for his political activities on UNRWA premises. When al-Sharif declined to resign, UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini sent him an email confirming his suspension for three months for “political activities violating neutrality.”
According to the Palestinian Refugees Portal website, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini agreed to cancel the suspension in exchange for ending the UNRWA strike that was paralyzing UNRWA’s operations in Lebanon, UN Watch reported.
Al-Sharif has openly promoted Hamas terrorism for more than a decade via his Facebook page, which as of this writing is still active and includes posts with condolences lamenting the fall of various terrorists and promising “the occupation will definitely fall.”
Al-Sharif’s 4,000 Facebook friends include many UNRWA teachers, including many who “liked” his years-long posts supporting Hamas, according to the report.
3/ For years UNRWA knew al-Sharif was entangled with Hamas and openly promoting terrorism. Here's the top UNRWA official's 2013 post cheering the terrorist murder of 20-year-old Israeli soldier Tomer Hazan—on the same day another UN official condemned it as a "shocking murder." pic.twitter.com/33Bb0g5wFb
— UN Watch (@UNWatch) June 22, 2024
In addition to being a leader of the post-October 7th protests in UNRWA facilities, Al-Sharif is himself a Hamas member who has attended Hamas events, rallies, and funerals. He is often photographed near the Hamas leadership.
Feb 2019: Hamas spokesman Jihad Taha & chief Hamas political officer in Lebanon Ahmed Abdul-Hadi attend wedding party hosted by UNRWA teachers union leader Fathi al-Sharif for his son. /5 pic.twitter.com/dGTFlXLk7V
— UN Watch (@UNWatch) June 22, 2024
Key Hamas leaders attended al-Sharif’s son’s wedding. Al-Sharif also has close personal ties with other terrorists.
In June 2023, al-Sharif mourned the death of his friend Sheikh Haitham Abdul Karim Al-Saadi (“Abu Tariq”), deputy emir of the Islamic Ansar League — designated as a terrorist organization by the US, UK, Canada, the UN, and others — whom he referred to as his “honorable brothers.”
Top UNRWA official Fathi “Abu Amin” al-Sharif, head of UNRWA teachers Union in Lebanon, eulogized Abu Tariq, leader of Al Qaida-linked Asbat al-Ansar, a terrorist group listed by US, Canada, Australia—and the UN itself. https://t.co/6xQrqkPMZ2
“We are saddened by the loss of my… pic.twitter.com/eZdjpbuHnl
— UN Watch (@UNWatch) June 23, 2024
Dutch aid minister Liesje Schreinemacher told parliament in April that the Netherlands would not renew funding to UNRWA unless it implements the recommendations of the April 2024 Colonna Report.
“In light of UNRWA’s handling of the al-Sharif case … we urge the Netherlands not to resume funding to UNRWA,” UN Watch said.
Separate and apart from UNRWA’s commitments under the Colonna Report, the agency is also bound by UN and UNRWA staff regulations on neutrality (See Colonna Report p. 18), the UNRWA Code of Ethics (newly updated in February 2024), and commitments to other donors.
Both UN and UNRWA regulations require staff to “avoid any action and in particular any kind of public pronouncement which may adversely reflect on their status, or on the integrity, independence and impartiality which are required by that status.”
The Code of Ethics further explains that UNRWA employees should “not take sides in situations of armed conflict, public controversies or other political, racial, religious, or ideological disputes.”
The Code of Ethics is also clear that “attending demonstrations … that are political or could become politicized” or “displaying controversial flags or symbols or holding political meetings or religious services in UNRWA installations” all constitute neutrality breaches.
Thus far, there has been no discernible attempt to redirect UNRWA in Lebanon towards its mandated mission, the promotion of peace, as has long been the case with UNRWA in Gaza, Judea and Samaria.
