BRUSSELS: The European Union (EU) on Tuesday called on international donors to resume funding to Gaza’s largest UN agency, UNRWA.
It appealed after a review found that Israel had not given evidence for its allegations that thousands of UNRWA staff were involved in Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
Several countries halted funding to the UN agency after the Israeli acquisitions. The US says it will not resume funding until UNRWA makes real progress.
UNRWA, which provides education, healthcare, and humanitarian aid to Palestinians, has a staff of 13,000 in Gaza.
EU humanitarian chief Janez Lenarcic urged the donor nations to support UNRWA, calling it the lifeline for Palestinian refugees.
Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide has already praised Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Japan, and Sweden for resuming their funding to UNRWA. However, the US and UK have not yet restored the funding.
US funding of UNRWA, still suspended
White House security spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday the US funding of UNRWA, is still suspended adding the country wants to see real progress.
The deputy spokesman of the US State Department, Vedant Patel, said the government continues to support UNRWA’s important work, and it must continue.
Israel has blamed more than 2,135 of the agency’s staff for being members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. But according to the UN’s independent review, led by France’s foreign minister, Israel was yet to provide evidence in support of the claim.
According to the Gaza health ministry, more than 34,000 Palestinians – mostly women and children – have been killed during Israel’s relentless bombardment in the besieged enclave.
