Western Nations Halt UNRWA Funding Over Alleged Hamas Ties
Israel claims that at least a dozen staffers from the UN agency for refugees have ties with Palestinian resistance factions
Australia, on 27 January, followed the decision made by Canada and the US to suspend funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) over allegations of staffers’ links to the 7 October resistance attack on Israeli settlements.
“The Israeli authorities have provided UNRWA with information about the alleged involvement of several UNRWA employees in the horrific attacks on Israel on Oct. 7,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told reporters on Friday.
Lazzarini added that “to protect the agency’s ability to deliver humanitarian assistance, I have taken the decision to immediately terminate the contracts of these staff members and launch an investigation in order to establish the truth without delay.”
Australian Senator Penny Wong says the nation is “very concerned” about the potential links of UNWRA staff to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
Noting on a social media post that the “UNRWA does vital, lifesaving work. It is providing essential services in Gaza directly to those who need it, with more than 1.4 million Palestinians currently sheltering in its facilities.”
Earlier on Friday, Canada’s Internal Development Minister, Ahmed Hussen, voiced condemnation for the 7 October attack and said Ottawa has temporarily paused additional funding to the UNRWA during this investigation period, noting that Canada expects immediate action to be taken if the allegations prove true.
…Israel has criticized the human rights agency for years, voicing allegations that the Palestinian resistance has used the schools in which the UNRWA operates for “terrorist activities” and to promote an “anti-Israel curriculum.”
Some officials accused the agency’s staffers of celebrating the attacks on social media.
Source:The Cradle
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