The United Kingdom, Italy, and Finland on Saturday became the latest countries to suspend funding for the United Nations Refugee Agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) following allegations that its staff were involved in Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7. Reuters reports UNN.
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Earlier, the United States, Australia and Canada suspended funding for the humanitarian organization after Israel claimed that 12 UNRWA employees were involved in the attack. The agency launched an investigation into several employees and severed ties with them.
The British Foreign Office said it was temporarily suspending funding to UNRWA while the charges are investigated, and noted that London condemned the October 7 attacks as "disgusting" terrorism.
Italian government suspends UNRWA funding after brutal attack on Israel on October 7
Finland also announced the suspension of funding.
Hussein al-Sheikh, head of the Palestinians' main political organization, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said that the reduction in support poses serious political and humanitarian risks.
Established to assist refugees of the 1948 war at the time of Israel's founding, UNRWA provides education, health and relief services to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. The agency assists approximately two-thirds of Gaza's population of 2.3 million and has played a key role in providing assistance during the current war.
Several UN staff members are suspected of involvement in the October 7 Hamas attack27.01.24, 06:37