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UNRWA partners with org. named after terrorist arms smuggler

Itamar Marcus  |

Bishop Hilarion Capucci was a convicted terrorist who exploited his status as Greek Catholic Archbishop of Jerusalem to smuggle weapons to the PLO terror organization. He was arrested in 1974 and sentenced to 12 years in prison but served only 3 years due to the Vatican's intervention. 

Screenshot of tweet by Dorothee Klaus

That did not stop UNRWA from signing a "cooperation agreement" with "the Bishop Capucci Campaign" - a Lebanese relief group for Palestinian civilians in Gaza and Lebanon:

"Under the auspices of the embassy of the State of Palestine: Signing a cooperation agreement between the Bishop Capucci Campaign and UNRWA…an agreement was signed between the Bishop Hilarion Capucci Campaign for Aid to the Gaza Strip and UNRWA…  Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon Dorothee Klaus signed on behalf of UNRWA… Klaus thanked the Bishop Capucci Campaign for this important initiative, which eases UNRWA's work."

[Falestinona, website of Fatah's Culture and Information Commission
in Lebanon, Sept. 27, 2024]

Was this just ignorance or intentional UNRWA endorsement of a convicted terrorist who smuggled weapons to be used for murdering Israeli civilians?

This endorsement follows Israel's exposure that UNRWA employees were actively involved in Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre in Israel.

In addition, Palestinian Media Watch has disclosed that UN Secretary-General António Guterres shamelessly met with top PA official and outspoken terror supporter Jibril Rajoub.

Also in Lebanon, Chairman of UNRWA's Teachers' Union in Lebanon and Principal of UNRWA's Deir Yassin School in El Buss refugee camp in Tyre, Lebanon, Fateh Sherif, turned out to be leader of Hamas in Lebanon:

 

Text on image: "‘And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision' [Quran 3:169, Sahih International translation]
Hamas Movement leader in Lebanon and Hamas leadership member abroad
Martyr educator Fateh Amin Sherif
Our Martyrs' blood strengthens the procession and produces the victory
"

[Hamas, Telegram channel, Sept. 30, 2024]

The image above shows a picture of Hamas leader in Lebanon and Chairman of the UNRWA Teachers' Union in Lebanon Fateh Sherif, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike. In the upper left and right corners is the Hamas logo.

Every day it becomes clearer why Israel has initiated legislation to outlaw UNRWA activities on Israeli territory. 

The following is a longer excerpt of the report on UNRWA's cooperation agreement with the campaign honoring arms smuggler Capucci:

Headline: "Under the auspices of the embassy of the State of Palestine: Signing a cooperation agreement between the Bishop Capucci Campaign and UNRWA"
"Under the auspices of the embassy of the State of Palestine in Lebanon, and in the presence of [PLO] Ambassador [to Lebanon] Ashraf Dabbour, an agreement was signed between the Bishop Hilarion Capucci Campaign for Aid to the Gaza Strip (Capucci smuggled weapons to Palestinian terrorists -Ed.) and UNRWA, during which the campaign provided 1,000 tons of flour that was collected for our people in the Gaza Strip (refers to the 2023 Gaza war; see note below -Ed.). Due to the closure of the crossing and the inability to transfer it to the Gaza Strip, the campaign's management decided to hand over the amount [of flour] to UNRWA in Lebanon, which in light of the difficult circumstances in Lebanon will use it for the Palestinian refugees, and in return will itself provide an equal amount [of flour] and distribute it in the Gaza Strip.
Nazih Al-Biqa'i and Omar Gandour signed on behalf of the Bishop Capucci Campaign, and Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon Dorothee Klaus signed on behalf of UNRWA…
Klaus thanked the Bishop Capucci Campaign for this important initiative, which eases UNRWA's work on everything concerning transporting and importing materials."

[Falestinona, website of Fatah's Culture and Information Commission in Lebanon, Sept. 27, 2024]

Hilarion Capucci

Fateh Sherif

Hamas war on Israel October 2023

 

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