Israel’s military offensive against the Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip has already cost 26,257 dead and 64,797 wounded, most of them children and women, since the war broke out more than three and a half months ago, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. , controlled by Hamas. To this we must add that the war has turned 85% of the total population in Gaza into displaced people, without homes or access to basic necessities, whose situation could even worsen due to the decision of several countries to withdraw their economic support to the UNRWA.
It is the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees, which manages the distribution of humanitarian aid. It is a key institution for the survival of the more than 1.9 million displaced people left by the war in the Gaza Strip, in the midst of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
The UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), destabilized by a controversy linked to the October 7 attack, has been an essential actor for millions of Palestinians since its creation in 1949. Long criticized by Israel, it must now investigate the role of some of its employees in the attack carried out by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Israeli soil.
UNRWA was created in late December 1949 by the UN General Assembly after the first Arab-Israeli conflict that broke out the day after the creation of Israel in May 1948.
Israel accused a dozen UNRWA workers of having participated in the attack carried out by Hamas on October 7, when the war broke out, which left some 1,200 dead and 250 kidnapped on Israeli soil.
This caused UNRWA to dismiss the designated personnel yesterday and initiate an investigation. After the dismissal of these personnel, the United States – Israel’s main partner -, Canada, Italy and Australia suspended their funding to UNRWA.
Just today, Britain and Finland joined the boycott and announced their intention to “temporarily pause” future funding of the United Nations agency for Palestinians in Gaza, while it reviews “concerning allegations” that staff UNRWA member was involved in the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
“The UK is shocked by allegations that UNRWA personnel were involved in the 7 October attack on Israel, an appalling act of terrorism which the UK government has repeatedly condemned,” the Foreign Office said. United Kingdom in a statement on Saturday.
For its part, Switzerland has announced that it will not make any decision on paying its aid to the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) until the issue of the possible involvement of some of its employees in the attack is clarified. .
The Palestinian National Authority, which governs small parts of the occupied West Bank, criticized countries that suspended their funding to the United Nations Palestinian Refugee Agency (UNRWA), key to the survival of many Gazans, before the alleged collusion of its staff with the Islamist movement Hamas that Israel denounced.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry expressed “great astonishment at the measures taken by some countries before the United Nations investigations are completed” and demanded that they be “immediately withdrawn in accordance with the law.”
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry estimates that, even if it is confirmed that some UNRWA workers cooperated with Hamas, “it should not harm” the organization or its humanitarian missions.
“Any misconduct on the part of some of UNRWA’s employees does not reflect its policy, the directives and instructions of its officials, nor the credibility of the work in the service of Palestinian refugees,” he argued.
The Palestinian ministry said Israel is waging a “systematic campaign of incitement against UNRWA,” citing the recent attack on an agency shelter in the Gaza Strip that left 13 dead and 75 wounded.
Hamas denied that UN personnel collaborate with its militant actions, after Israel accused the World Health Organization (WHO) of aligning with the Islamist group and the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). “We strongly condemn the incitement campaign launched by the Zionist criminal entity against international institutions that contribute to the relief of our people, who are being subjected to Nazi genocide,” Hamas said in a statement.
The Islamist group referred to a “baseless accusation” by Israel “against the World Health Organization about an alleged ‘collision’ with the Hamas movement”, as well as “incitement against UNRWA with the aim of cutting off its funding.” and depriving the Palestinian people of their right to the services of these international agencies,” he continued.
The Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, assured today that UNRWA “obstructs peace and serves as the civilian arm of Hamas in Gaza,” and advocated that the organization not be part of the operation in the Strip once the war is over.
The UNRWA scandal broke out yesterday, the same day that the UN International Court of Justice issued a ruling demanding that Israel prevent a genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid.
This imposition of precautionary measures, which did not include a ceasefire, is due to an accusation of genocide against Israel – still ongoing – presented in December by South Africa.
