UNRWA is the United Nations aid organization for Palestinian refugees. On Friday, the organization announced that it is investigating whether employees may have been involved in the attack on Israel.
A short time later, the United States announced that it was suspending its support for UNRWA. Canada and Australia do the same, reports the broadcaster CBC and newspaper Sydney Morning Herald. While the allegations are investigated, the UN organization will not receive any further support from these countries.
– Catastrophic situation
However, there will be no halt in Norwegian support, according to Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide (Ap).
– The situation for the population in Gaza is catastrophic, and UNRWA is the most important humanitarian organization there, he says in a statement to NTB.
– Norway continues our support for the Palestinian people, also through UNRWA. International support for the people of Gaza is needed now more than ever, he adds.
At the same time, Eide emphasizes that the suspicions
– Continue to support
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong emphasizes that UNRWA is doing very important, life-saving work in the Gaza Strip. 1.4 million Palestinians have sought refuge in UN buildings and camps.
– Australia will continue to support the people of Gaza and work to provide humanitarian aid, says Wong.
It was Israel that first accused UNRWA staff of participating in the attack. The suspects concern twelve people, according to the US Department of State.
UNRWA has already dismissed several people as a result of the information that has come to light. The organisation’s head Philippe Lazzarini has said that all employees who may have been involved in terrorism will be held accountable.
UNRWA plays a very important role in the humanitarian work in the Gaza Strip, where, according to the local authorities, over 26,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks following the attack on Israel in October.
1.4 million Palestinians have sought refuge in UNRWA’s buildings and camps
Israel: Wants to stop
The government in Israel says it will try to stop the work of the UN organization UNRWA in Gaza when the war is over.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz writes on the messaging service X, formerly Twitter, that his ministry will try to ensure that UNRWA will not get a role afterwards.
UNRWA is the United Nations organization for Palestinian refugees. The background for Katz’s plan is suspicions that a group of UNRWA employees participated in the attack on Israel on 7 October last year.
It was Israel that first accused UNRWA staff of participating in the attack. The UN organization has already dismissed several people as a result of the information that has come to light. The organisation’s head Philippe Lazzarini has said that all employees who may have been involved in terrorism will be held accountable.