Withdrawing funding from UNRWA poses a political risk. The warning comes from the Palestine Liberation Organization which has appealed to the countries that have frozen funding to the UN agency asking them to review their position, given that this choice “involves a political and aid risk”. The appeal was published on the social network X by Hussein al Sheikh, general secretary of the PLO and senior official of the Palestinian National Authority.
“This decision – he warned – entails a political risk. States are urged to withdraw their decision immediately.” A few hours earlier, last in chronological order, it was the Italian government, through the foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, who announced that it had “suspended the funding for UNRWAafter the atrocious attack of Hamas against Israel of October 7th. Allied countries they recently made the same decision. We are committed tohumanitarian assistance to the Palestinian population, protecting Israel’s security.”
The announcement, again via the social networkUnited Nations agency for Palestinian refugeesfollowing allegations that twelve of its employees they may have been involved in the Hamas attack on 7 October. Italy’s decision aligned the country with the positions of the United States, but also of Canada and Australia, which temporarily suspended the payment of funds to the agency after the scandal.
The Ottawa government in particular on Saturday morning ordered a “temporary pause” in the provision of “additional funds” to UNRWA, as the Canadian Minister for International Development said, Ahmed Hussen, specifying that Canada will not stop helping Palestinian civilians in Gaza. “The allegations of involvement of UNRWA personnel in the horrific terrorist attacks of 7 October are deeply worrying. Australia welcomes UNRWA’s rapid response and will fully engage in the investigation. We are talking to partners and will temporarily suspend the disbursement of recent funding”, was the announcement from the Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
For his part Israel he says that Tel Aviv “will ensure that UNRWA is not part of the post-war period in Gaza“As the Israeli Foreign Minister said, Israel Katz, adding that he will “work” to gain bipartisan support in the US, EU and other nations globally for this policy to halt UNRWA activities in Gaza. While Hamas in a statement he underlined “the importance of the role of these agencies in providing rescue to our people and in documentation the crimes of the occupation”.
“We ask the UN to take action immediately personal actions against the UNRWA leadership,” is against Israel’s request. According to Katz, “UNRWA must pay a price for its actions,” as it “perpetuates the refugee issue, hinders peace and serves as the civilian arm of Hamas in Gaza.” And again: “UNRWA is not the solution: many of its employees are affiliated with Hamas with murderous ideologieswhich contribute to terrorist activities and preserve his authority.”
For weeks, Israel has claimed that UNRWA personnel played a role in the October 7 Hamas attacks. But this time the accusations seem supported by circumstantial evidence, since they led to the dismissal of 12 agency members as well as triggering a harsh reaction from the leaders of the Glass Palace, but also from Washington and Brussels.
“The Israeli authorities have provided information on the alleged involvement of several employees in the terrible attacks on October 7. To protect the agency’s ability to provide humanitarian assistance, I have made the decision to immediately terminate the contracts of these individuals and launch ainvestigation to establish the truth without delay,” the UNRWA commissioner general announced on Friday Philippe Lazzarinireiterating the condemnation of Hamas attacks and speaking of “shocking accusations”.
Lazzarini did not reveal the nature of this alleged involvement, but assured that “any employee involved in acts of terrorism will be held responsible, including through criminal proceedings”. While the general secretary Antonio Guterres he said he was “horrified by the news”. A statement from the spokesperson “asked Lazzarini to swiftly investigate the matter and ensure that any UNRWA employee who participated in or facilitated the attacks is immediately dismissed and referred for potential criminal prosecution.”
The news about the United Nations agency, which has approx 13,000 Palestinian employees in the Gaza Strip, it arrived while relations between the UN and Israel are at their lowest levels, with the Jewish State having harshly attacked the UN and its agencies on several occasions. And the same general secretary Guterres who, while condemning the Hamas massacres without appeal, at the same time pointed the finger at Tel Aviv for the “collective punishment” of the Palestinians and the refusal of the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the two-state solution.