• UN chief António Guterres urges countries to continue funding UNRWA.
• Israel accused UNRWA of involvement in the 7 October Hamas attacks.
• UNRWA, which operates in Gaza and provides humanitarian aid.

António Guterres, the UN chief, has urged countries to continue funding the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, after some had halted their operations.

“The dire needs of the desperate populations they serve must be met,” Mr Guterres said.

Israel notified the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) that some of its staff had participated in the deadly Hamas attacks on October 7.  Following this, eight countries, including the UK, suspended funding for UNRWA.

The agency, which operates in Gaza and provides humanitarian aid in various regions, is investigating the allegations and has terminated the employment of certain individuals.

The countries that have halted funding for UNRWA include Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US.

Israel, in response to the Hamas attacks, initiated an offensive, and UNRWA used its facilities across Gaza to shelter hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians. Israel has consistently accused various UN branches, including UNRWA, of bias and even anti-Semitism.

Israeli media reports:

Israeli media reports indicate that Hamas gunmen used UNRWA vehicles and facilities for the October 7 attacks, resulting in the killing of around 1,300 people, mostly civilians, and the hostage-taking of another 240. An adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that individuals involved in the attacks were on UNRWA salaries, and an Israeli hostage claimed she had been held in the house of someone working for UNRWA.

On Saturday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced that Israel had levied allegations against 12 UNRWA employees, resulting in the termination of nine, the death of one, and ongoing clarification of the identities of the remaining two. Guterres acknowledged the concerns of governments suspending funding and expressed horror at the alleged acts of the staff members, emphasizing that consequences must follow. However, he stressed that the agency should not penalize the thousands working for it.

Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, strongly reacted, calling the decision to suspend funds “shocking” given the small number of staff facing Israeli allegations. He clarified that UNRWA shares its staff list with Israel annually and has never received any concerns.

Some countries, like Norway, supported UNRWA, highlighting its crucial role in aid distribution and the need to distinguish between individual actions and what UNRWA stands for.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz urged Lazzarini to resign and expressed the aim to stop UNRWA from operating in Gaza after the war.

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