Watchdog group calls for UN apology after memorial honors alleged Hamas figure

A watchdog group said it has demanded an apology from the United Nations after what it described as an erroneous honor given to an alleged Hamas figure during a memorial service linked to UN operations in the Middle East. In a report published August 26, UN Watch alleged that UNRWA teacher Imad Youssif El Samhouri was memorialized despite the group’s contention that he glorified terrorism for years.

UN Watch said the decision to honor El Samhouri at a UN memorial reflected a failure of due diligence. The group’s central claim is that El Samhouri, described as an educator working with UNRWA, had for years promoted or celebrated Hamas-linked violence, a characterization UN Watch said should have disqualified him from official recognition tied to UN institutions.

The dispute centers on the UN’s internal processes for vetting individuals for recognition, especially where UN-affiliated entities operate in areas affected by armed groups. UN Watch’s complaint framed the memorial as more than a symbolic error, saying the honor risked legitimizing terrorism narratives and undermining the integrity of UN programming tied to humanitarian protection and education.

In its account, UN Watch portrayed El Samhouri as having been held up in a way that contradicted the standards the United Nations and its agencies are expected to apply when associating with individuals connected to extremist or terrorist activity. The group demanded an apology, implying it wants the UN to acknowledge what it called a serious mistake and to explain how it occurred.

The allegations were made in the context of heightened scrutiny of UNRWA operations and personnel over the past several years, with multiple rights and accountability organizations arguing that any real or perceived toleration of extremist content risks harm to both beneficiaries and the credibility of aid institutions. While UN Watch’s report is focused on the memorial’s specific choice of honoree, the wider backdrop is the ongoing question of how UN-linked actors verify conduct and messages tied to individuals in sensitive roles.

A UN Watch statement in the August 26 report called for corrective action after the memorial. The next steps, according to the watchdog’s demand, would include an official apology and a review of the procedures that allowed El Samhouri to be honored, along with assurances meant to prevent similar errors in future UN ceremonies.