Eight nations have halted future contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) as an inquiry is underway into allegations that some of its workers were involved in the October 7 attack on Israel. The UNRWA is responsible for delivering essential humanitarian aid to Gaza, which has faced heavy bombardment by the Israel Defense Forces targeting Hamas militants following the October strike. The countries pausing their funding include the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Canada, Finland, and the Netherlands.
The Israeli authorities provided information to the UNRWA, alleging the involvement of several of its employees in the attacks. According to the U.S. State Department, 12 employees were accused, resulting in the termination of nine, confirmation of one death, and clarification of the identity of two others, as stated by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres. An investigation by the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services is set to examine these allegations.
Guterres emphasized that any UN employee engaged in acts of terror would be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution. Specific details about how the accused workers participated in the October 7 attacks were not disclosed.
Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, has accused the UNRWA of serving as the “civilian arm of Hamas in Gaza,” a claim vehemently denied by the humanitarian aid agency. Israel has long alleged collusion between the UNRWA and Hamas, the group governing Gaza and responsible for the October 7 attacks.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini expressed concern that the funding pause from major contributing countries would worsen the humanitarian crisis in the region, already exacerbated by fuel and supply cutoffs. Lazzarini emphasized the agency’s immediate action in terminating contracts and seeking a transparent independent investigation into the allegations against a small group of staff
