Britain, Italy and Finland on Saturday turned the newest international locations to pause funding for the United Nations’ refugee company for Palestinians (UNRWA), following allegations its workers have been concerned within the Oct. 7 Hamas assaults on Israel.
Set as much as assist refugees of the 1948 struggle at Israel’s founding, UNRWA supplies schooling, well being and support providers to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. It helps about two thirds of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants and has performed a pivotal support function through the present struggle.
The United States, Australia and Canada had already paused funding to the help company after Israel mentioned 12 UNRWA staff have been concerned within the cross-border assault. The company has opened an investigation into a number of staff severed ties with them.
The Palestinian international ministry criticized what it described as an Israeli marketing campaign in opposition to UNRWA, and the Hamas militant group condemned the termination of worker contracts “primarily based on data derived from the Zionist enemy.”
The UK Foreign Office mentioned it was briefly pausing funding for UNRWA whereas the accusations have been reviewed and famous London had condemned the Oct. 7 assaults as “heinous” terrorism.
“The Italian authorities has suspended financing of the UNRWA after the atrocious assault on Israel on October 7,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani mentioned on social media platform X.
Finland additionally mentioned it suspended funding.
Hussein al-Sheikh, head of the Palestinians’ umbrella political physique the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), mentioned chopping assist introduced main political and reduction dangers.
“We name on international locations that introduced the cessation of their assist for UNRWA to instantly reverse their choice,” he mentioned on X.