On 16 February 2024 the Israeli government website published the following report of an address by the Minister of Foreign (MFA) Affairs, Israel Katz, to the Munich Security Conference. 

With abductees’ family members present in the audience: During his first visit to Germany, FM Katz called for the release of all the abductees and presented the UNRWA File to the international community at the Munich Security Conference. The File, authored by the Israel MFA, presents decisive evidence of the involvement of the organization’s employees in terrorism: “There is no place for UNRWA in Gaza. The organization serves as an arm of the Hamas terrorist organization.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs Israel Katz today (Friday, February 16, 2024) addressed the Munich Security Conference.
FM Katz revealed the UNRWA File for the first time to the international community. The File, authored by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, presents decisive evidence of UNRWA’s involvement in Hamas’ terrorist activities.

FM Katz: “UNRWA has no place in the Gaza Strip. UNRWA is the problem, not the solution. UNRWA serves as an arm of the Hamas terrorist organization. 12 UNRWA employees were involved in the October 7 attack and the murder and kidnapping of Israelis.

UNRWA headquarters in Gaza were part of the Hamas terrorist organization, including the connection to terrorist tunnels. We have a lot of evidence of UNRWA’s involvement in terrorist activity – and we will expose it to the world. There are other international organizations able to replace UNRWA in Gaza. I call on the head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, to resign immediately.”

Regarding the return of the abductees, FM Katz stated: “The return of the abductees is the MFA’s most important goal. Hamas’ behavior is identical to that of the Nazis towards the Jews during the Holocaust.

The most important element for the return of the abductees is the continuation of military pressure. I call on world leaders to pressure Qatar and other countries for their return.”
Later in the speech, FM Katz called on the world to halt Iran: “Iran poses a threat to Europe. If the international community does not mobilize to stop it – there will be many “Gazas” – in Berlin, The Hague and throughout Europe.

FM Katz called for the imposition of sanctions on Iran to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons and emphasized Israel’s right to self-defense. “This is not only our war,” he declared, “but that of the entire free world against radical Islam and the axis of evil led by Iran.”