Report: UN Office Head Reassigned After Tweet Condemning Gaza Rockets

The head of a United Nations office that serves the Palestinians has been removed from her post. Sarah Muscroft, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, lost her position after she tweeted a condemnation of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s “indiscriminate rocket fire” during the recent conflict between the group in Gaza and Israel, The Times of Israel first reported citing an unnamed UN spokesperson.

“Relieved to see a ceasefire agreed ending hostilities impacting both Palestinians and Israeli civilians. Such indiscriminate rocket fire of Islamic Jihad provoking Israeli retaliation is condemned. The safety of all civilians is paramount — the ceasefire must be upheld,” Muscroft tweeted; her Twitter account has since been closed.

Muscroft, who was based in east Jerusalem, was condemned by Palestinian supporters, and accused of blaming the Palestinians for last week’s conflict, which left 49 Palestinians dead and saw over 1,000 rockets fired on civilians in Israel. Muscroft tweeted an apology which said that “one of my previous tweets was ill-informed and I have deleted it. I sincerely apologize for my poor judgment. All civilians — everywhere — must be able to live in peace.”

But it did not prevent her from being removed from her position. On Saturday, a UN spokesperson told The Times of Israel that Muscroft would be reassigned. It is not known if she will remain in east Jerusalem.