Coalition makes bold demand on UNWRA employees linked to October 7

Penny Wong is facing growing pressure from the Coalition over nine UN employees who “may have been involved” in the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack.

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Foreign Minister Penny Wong has failed to hold the United Nations to account over its failure to prosecute nine workers involved in October 7’s Hamas massacre after she welcomed the independent body’s handling of the issue, the coalition says.

New foreign affairs spokesman for the Coalition, David Coleman is ramping up pressure on Minister Wong to demand that the UN seek to prosecute nine employees who their own investigation found “may have been” involved in the greatest loss of Jewish life since the holocaust.

The government has defended the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for its decision to investigate and then sack the nine employees.

CASenator Penny Wong in the Senate at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Martin Ollman

In October 2024, in a joint statement with other nations, Ms Wong said the agency had “taken steps to address allegations regarding individual employees’ support for terrorist organisations and demonstrated its willingness to pursue and implement reform”.

But Mr Coleman has demanded that Ms Wong reveal if she has spoken directly to UNRWA about seeking prosecutions for the nine workers.

“The UNRWA staff who were fired on suspicion of participating in the mass murder on October 7 must be prosecuted.,” he said.

“Minister Wong needs to reveal whether the Australian Government demanded that these UNRWA staff be held to account for their actions.

David Coleman. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“The Minister said the Government would work with UNRWA ‘to ensure its integrity and neutrality are beyond reproach’. Does that extend to demanding that those people who were sacked for their apparent involvement in the barbaric October 7 attacks face actual consequences for their crimes? Or has the Minister continued to give taxpayer money to UNRWA, without demanding that the alleged terrorists are prosecuted?”

A spokesman for Minister Wong said government expected prosecutions to be pursued.

“The Foreign Minister has consistently said the allegations must be thoroughly investigated and those responsible need to be held to account,” she said.

“We expect individuals complicit in the October 7 atrocities and any other terrorist attacks to be prosecuted.”

Alex Ryvchin. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The opposition has committed to banning all funding to UNRWA if they win the next federal election.,

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin called on the government to also adopt this position.

“If the international community is committed to the peaceful reconstruction of Gaza such that it is never again used to stage mass terror, the malignant influence of UNRWA must be removed and its employees who participated in the atrocities must be brought to justice,” he said.

“The fact that Australian taxpayers may have contributed to the salaries of killers is an outrage.

“The government should make opposition to UNRWA a bipartisan position and should ensure that any future aid to the Palestinians helps to end conflict and not deepen it.”

Originally published as Coalition makes bold demand on UNWRA employees linked to October 7