UN Watch, a prominent watchdog organization critical of the United Nations, has called on Secretary-General António Guterres to waive the legal immunity of outgoing UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, arguing that the longtime UN official should face criminal investigation over allegations that he enabled an agency increasingly infiltrated by Hamas.

The request, submitted Tuesday by UN Watch, comes as Lazzarini concludes his tenure leading the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), a controversial humanitarian organization that has faced mounting scrutiny since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

In a formal legal letter invoking Section 20 of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, UN Watch argues that immunity exists to protect the interests of the UN rather than individual officials and should be waived when it could obstruct justice.

“For years, we repeatedly warned Mr. Lazzarini that Hamas had deeply infiltrated UNRWA,” UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer said in a statement. The organization said it provided UN officials with documentation alleging that numerous UNRWA employees — including teachers, school administrators and labor union leaders — maintained ties to Hamas, which the US, EU and other Western governments designate as a terrorist organization.

UN Watch alleges that despite those warnings, Lazzarini continued to oversee an agency whose personnel and facilities were exploited by Hamas and other militant groups operating in Gaza. The organization contends that these actions warrant investigation for possible complicity in terrorism, war crimes and crimes against humanity, while emphasizing that any determination of criminal liability would ultimately be made by competent judicial authorities.

“We provided detailed evidence identifying Hamas-affiliated teachers, school principals, union leaders, and other employees,” Neuer said. “We documented repeated meetings between senior UNRWA officials — including Mr. Lazzarini himself — and leaders of Hamas and other terrorist organizations. Yet he continued to assure governments that UNRWA’s neutrality mechanisms were effective while overseeing an agency whose personnel, facilities, and resources were being exploited by terrorist groups.”

The allegations add to a broader debate over UNRWA’s role in Gaza. Since the Oct. 7 attacks, Israeli officials have repeatedly argued that Hamas embedded itself within the agency’s infrastructure, accusing some employees of participating directly in the assault and others of maintaining longstanding affiliations with the militant group. Israel has also said Hamas used facilities associated with UNRWA for military purposes, allegations that have intensified calls within Israel and among some Western lawmakers for major reforms or the agency’s replacement.

UNRWA has consistently rejected accusations that it knowingly cooperated with Hamas, saying it acts swiftly when credible evidence of staff misconduct emerges and that it operates under exceptionally difficult conditions inside Gaza. The agency has argued that the overwhelming majority of its more than 30,000 employees carry out humanitarian work providing food, education and medical care to Palestinian civilians.

The dispute comes amid continuing international scrutiny of UNRWA. Multiple donor countries, including the US, temporarily suspended funding in 2024 after allegations surfaced that a number of employees participated in the Oct. 7 attack, though many later resumed contributions following reviews and additional oversight measures. Debate has nevertheless continued over whether Hamas exercised deeper influence over the agency than previously acknowledged.

Last month, the inspector general’s office for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) revealed that it found evidence showing 101 current and former UNRWA employees also operated as Hamas terrorists, including within the group’s military apparatus. 

“Among the individuals referred were UNRWA school principals, teachers, security personnel, attendants, psychosocial counselors, and medical professionals,” the USAID inspector general’s office noted.

UN Watch argues that waiving Lazzarini’s immunity would demonstrate that senior UN officials are not beyond legal accountability.

“The credibility of the United Nations depends on demonstrating that immunity is not a shield for impunity,” Neuer said.

The United Nations has not publicly indicated whether Guterres intends to consider the request. Under the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, the secretary-general has the authority to waive immunity when he determines doing so would not prejudice the interests of the organization and when immunity would otherwise impede the course of justice.