The Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs, Israel Katz, yesterday thanked the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia and Finland for suspending funding to the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), for the alleged collusion of several members of the organization with the Islamist group Hamas.
"I am calling for more nations to join. UNRWA's ties to Hamas, the provision of refuge to terrorists and the perpetuation of its Government are undeniable. The leaders of UNRWA must be dismissed and thoroughly investigated," said Katz.
Israel has given the UN information that would show that a dozen UNRWA workers took part in the attack that Hamas carried out on October 7, which included the launch of thousands of rockets and the simultaneous infiltration of militias that they massacred about 1,200 people and kidnapped another 250 in Israeli towns near Gaza.
"We have been warning for years: UNRWA perpetuates the refugee issue, obstructs peace and serves as the civilian arm of Hamas," said Katz, assuring that he will work to ensure that UNRWA is not part of the operation of the strip after the war
UNRWA announced on Friday the immediate dismissal of several members of its staff and the launch of an investigation "to establish the truth" and "to protect the agency's ability to provide assistance" in Gaza, where 85% of the population is displaced and experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
The United States, Israel's main partner and arms supplier, was "extremely concerned" by the allegations against UNRWA and was the first country to temporarily suspend funding to the agency while it is investigated and determine the measures that the United Nations will take.
With more than 30,000 employees, UNRWA is the largest organization in Gaza, apart from the Government of the Strip.
The Israeli offensive has left more than 26,257 dead and 64,797 injured in the Palestinian enclave, while the survivors face an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry expressed "great surprise at the measures taken by some countries before the completion of the United Nations investigations" and demanded that they be "immediately withdrawn, in accordance with the law".
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes that, even if it is confirmed that some UNRWA workers cooperated with Hamas, "the organization and its humanitarian missions should not be harmed".
"Any misconduct on the part of some of the UNRWA workers does not reflect its policy, the directives and instructions of its officials or the credibility of the work in the service of Palestinian refugees," he argued. The Palestinian ministry adds that Israel is conducting a "systematic campaign of incitement against UNRWA" mentioning the recent attack on an agency hostel in Gaza that left 13 dead and 75 injured.
Hamas, for its part, denied that UN personnel collaborate with its militia actions. "We strongly condemn the campaign of incitement launched by the Zionist criminal entity against international institutions that contribute to the relief of our people, who are subjected to Nazi genocide," the Islamist group said in a statement.
The Israeli ambassador to the UN, Meirav Eilon Shahar, yesterday accused the World Health Organization of aligning itself with Hamas. The director general of the organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, rejected it: "These false accusations are harmful and can harm the staff (in Gaza), who risk their lives to serve the most vulnerable."
