UN officials and some donor countries are continuing to call for funding to be restored to the main UN agency assisting the Palestinians, after a review found that Israel has not provided evidence to support its claim that many of its employees are members of terrorist organizations.
More than a dozen countries, including the United States, suspended funding to the agency, known as UNRWA, after Israel announced in January that dozens of agency employees had participated in attacks. Hamas-led attack on 7 October or their aftermath, and an attack on 7 October led by Hamas. The 10 employees in Gaza were members of Hamas or its ally, Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The United Nations has commissioned an independent review of the agency in January, before Israel issued its statement, but those allegations added significance to the investigation, whose findings were released on Monday. The report makes a series of recommendations for the agency to protect its neutrality, but says “Israel has yet to provide evidence to support” allegations that a significant number of the agency's employees are members of terrorist organizations.
The assessment makes no mention of Israel's allegation that 12 of the agency's 13,000 employees in Gaza were involved in the October 7 attack or its aftermath, a claim the United Nations said remained is under internal investigation. The United Nations has fired 10 of the 12 employees accused by Israel.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, said on Monday that Mr. circuit for Palestinian refugees in the region.”
Caroline Gennez, Belgium's Minister of Development, who did not cut funding to the agency, said the report showed UNRWA “always acted adequately”.
“I urge all donors to continue their support,” she said write on social networks. “Currently.”
Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin has quoted by national television, RTÉ, said that he hoped that some countries that had suspended support would now resume it. Ireland, where there is strongly condemn Israel's campaign he noted that in Gaza, aid has increased to UNRWA when other countries are cutting aid.
“We have been very clear that you cannot replace or undermine UNRWA's role in providing vital aid, teaching and education,” he said.
Of the more than a dozen countries that have suspended payments following Israel's accusations, several – including Australia, Canada and Japan – have followed suit. continue to sponsor UNRWA, citing spiral growth humanitarian disaster in Gaza and the steps the agency is taking to improve accountability.
The United States said it would wait for the results of the United Nations investigation before deciding whether to continue donating to UNRWA. Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesman, told reporters on Monday that the Biden administration was reviewing the report commissioned by the United Nations and had not yet assessed its conclusions.
“Certainly, we welcome the secretary-general's acceptance of the recommendations,” Mr. Miller said, adding that the United States “has long been clear that reform is needed at UNRWA.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for UNRWA to be closed and replaced “with responsible international aid agencies.” Israel's Foreign Ministry on Monday urged donor countries to avoid sending money to the organization.
UNRWA argued that Israel targeted the organization with a “deliberate and coordinated campaign”. to weaken its activity when its services are needed most.
The European Union, one of the largest donors to UNRWA, announced in March that it has increased significantly funds the agency, saying Palestinians are facing terrible conditions and should not be forced to pay for Hamas's crimes.
