The UK has decided to pause its funding for the U.N.’s relief agency in Gaza over allegations that a number of its employees were involved in the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Oct. 7 last year. This follows the same decision made by the US, Australia, Italy, and Canada. UNRWA has terminated contracts and launched an investigation after Israel’s allegations.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said the UK is “appalled” by the allegations and will review them while suspending future funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). This action comes after the UNRWA said it had sacked several of its employees in Gaza suspected of taking part in last year’s assault by Hamas and other terrorists on southern Israel. The United States—the agency’s biggest donor—Australia, Italy, and Canada have also suspended funding to the agency.
In 2018, former U.S. President Donald Trump cut funding for UNRWA, but President Joe Biden resumed it after assuming office. Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General, said in a statement that Israeli authorities had provided the agency with “shocking” information about the alleged involvement of several UNRWA staff members in the Oct. 7 attacks, which he described as “horrific.” Mr. Lazzarini said he had decided to terminate the contracts of these UNRWA employees immediately and launch an investigation.
UNRWA has 13,000 staff in Gaza, almost all of them Palestinians, ranging from teachers in schools that the agency runs, to doctors, medical staff, and aid workers. The relief agency has played a key role in providing aid for the enclave’s population since the Israel–Hamas war broke out. It has also faced long-running criticism from Israel and others, who accuse the group of coordinating with groups that the United States designates as terrorists, as well as using teaching materials in Palestinian schools that foster anti-Semitism and jihadism. Many see UNRWA as a critical provider of services to beleaguered Arab populations in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, while others see it as an enabler of the crisis and an obstacle to peace.