UNITED NATIONS/GAZA/JERUSALEM - Evidence obtained by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) indicated that nine staff members of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) may have been involved in the Oct 7 attack on Israel, a UN spokesman said on Monday.

The OIOS has completed its investigation into 19 area staff members of the UNRWA, regarding allegations of their involvement in the attacks in southern Israel, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, at a daily briefing.

The OIOS made findings in relation to each of the 19 UNRWA staff members alleged to have been involved in the attacks, he said.

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In one case, no evidence was obtained by the OIOS to support the allegations of the staff member's involvement, while in nine other cases, the evidence obtained by the agency was insufficient to support the staff members' involvement, according to Haq.

With respect to these ten cases, appropriate measures will be taken in due course, in conformity with UNRWA regulations and rules, he said.

In respect of the remaining nine cases, the evidence obtained by the OIOS indicated that the UNRWA staff members "may have been involved in the armed attacks," said the spokesman.

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"The employment of these individuals will be terminated in the interests of the agency," he added.

89 bodies returned

Israel had returned the bodies of 89 Palestinians killed by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said on Monday.

These bodies, previously held by Israel, were delivered through the Kerem Shalom crossing in the southern Gaza Strip by the International Committee of the Red Cross, Palestinian security sources requesting anonymity told Xinhua.

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The sources said that the bodies were placed in plastic bags with serial numbers but without any information about their origins, the locations from which they were taken, or the places where they were killed.

According to the media office, the Israeli side had kidnapped more than 2,000 bodies of the slain victims from dozens of cemeteries in the Gaza Strip over the course of 304 days of the conflict.

The statement called for the establishment of an independent international investigation into the abduction of the corpses and what they said was "the theft of their vital organs".

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There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the return of the bodies. In the past, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said it has removed dozens of bodies from Gaza for DNA tests in Israel to see if there are Israeli hostages.

The returned bodies were buried on Monday in a mass grave at the Turkish cemetery in Khan Younis, the southern Gaza Strip.

Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others taken hostage.

Israel ‘preparing’ for retaliatory attack

Israel and its allies were preparing on Monday for an expected retaliatory attack from Iran and its allies after the killing of senior Hezbollah commander Fouad Shokor in Beirut and the assassination of Hamas Politburo Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

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Israel has claimed responsibility for the killing of Shokor, but has not commented on the assassination of Haniyeh, which Hamas and Iran have attributed to Israel.

Iran has rejected calls for negotiation regarding its planned response and has vowed to punish Israel. "Iran seeks to establish stability in the region, but this will only come with punishing the aggressor and creating deterrence against the adventurism of the Zionist regime (Israel)," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Monday, adding that an Iranian reaction was inevitable.

"As far as the violation of our territorial integrity is concerned, we will not make any compromises," he stated.

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Israeli leaders have indicated that the country is prepared for an Iranian-led attack, including potential actions from Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthi forces in Yemen, and Iraqi militias.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the Israeli forces were preparing for "a swift transition to offense". During a visit to an Air Force command center, he conducted a situation assessment with top aerial commanders.

His office said in a statement that "in light of recent developments, the minister was briefed on air defense readiness and on potential offensive capabilities that may be employed in each arena".

The IDF stated that Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi had approved "operational plans for various scenarios".

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"Our future offensive plans are ready, and we are prepared, across all units, including me down to the last soldier," said Ori Gordin, IDF's Commanding Officer of the Northern Command, during a meeting with local authorities in northern Israel. "We are determined to change the situation here in the north and bring our residents back home."

More American forces were moving to the region to bolster defenses in and around Israel. The United States was deploying additional warships, including a guided missile cruiser and missile destroyer, as well as another squadron of fighter jets, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported.

Britain is also expected to help protect Israel in case of an attack, Kan reported.

In April, the United States, Britain, and Jordan helped Israel intercept an Iranian-led retaliatory strike of over 300 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. The attack was a response to an earlier Israeli bombing of the Iranian consulate in Syria, which killed two Iranian generals.

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As part of the effort to build a similar coalition, Commander of US Central Command Michael Erik Kurilla arrived in Israel for consultations. He met with Gallant and Halevi. A photo released by the IDF showed top commanders from both forces at the Kyria military base in Tel Aviv.

The IDF said in a statement that they held "a joint situational assessment on security and strategic issues, as well as joint preparations in the region, as part of the response to threats in the Middle East".

Israel's Ynet news website reported on Monday that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told G7 ministers on Sunday that the counterattack is expected to begin within the next 24-48 hours.

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Gallant also spoke with his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto. On the social media platform X, Gallant noted that he updated Crosetto on "security developments and threats posed by Iran and its proxies," and discussed IDF readiness and cooperation with allies. Gallant urged allied countries to "stand with Israel at this time".

Meanwhile, a growing number of airlines, including Ryanair, Wizz Air, and Lufthansa, have suspended flights to Israel due to concerns over instability.