UN for Palestinian refugees The United Kingdom was the last country to stop funding the agency, UNRWA.
It comes after the company announced it was firing several of its employees accused of involvement in the October 7 Hamas attack. The UK government said it was “horrified” by Israel's allegations.
The United States, Australia, Italy, Canada and Finland have already suspended additional funding to the UN agency.
Created in 1949, UNRWA is the largest UN agency operating in Gaza. Provides health care, education and other humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. About 13,000 people work in Gaza.
Since Israel launched its offensive in response to the October 7 attacks, UNRWA has used facilities in Gaza to house hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians.
The agency says it has ordered an investigation into the information provided by Israel.
Israel has long accused various branches of the United Nations, including UNRWA, of bias and even anti-Semitism.
Speaking to the BBC, the organisation's former chief spokesman, Christopher Gans, said that halting aid to UNRWA was disproportionate and would lead to further suffering in Gaza.
Gunnes believes UNRWA violated its zero-tolerance policy by firing staff before an internal investigation was completed.
“A million displaced people are currently sheltering in and around UNRWA buildings. They are the ones who will suffer as a result of this decision,” Gunnes said, adding: “The reduction of UNRWA services will destabilize the region while Western countries. Governments are trying to contain the regional conflict.”
On Friday, an adviser to the Israeli prime minister told the BBC that the October 7 Hamas attacks “involved people receiving their salaries”. [da UNRWA]”.
Mark Regev said there were reports that teachers working in UNRWA schools “openly celebrated” the October 7 attacks.
He also mentioned an Israeli hostage who, upon his release, was “held in the house of someone who worked for UNRWA.”
“They have a union controlled by Hamas, and I think it's time for the UN to investigate these links between UNRWA and Hamas,” he added.
The allegations prompted a backlash from major donors.
“The UK is appalled by the allegations that UNRWA officials were involved in the attack on Israel on 7 October, a heinous act of terrorism which the UK government has repeatedly condemned,” the UK Foreign Office said in a communication.
“In light of these worrying allegations, the UK is temporarily suspending future funding of UNWRA,” he added.
Jane Austen is a writer and contributor covering culture, literature, lifestyle, and society. Her work focuses on thoughtful storytelling, social trends, and the issues shaping everyday life, delivering engaging and accessible content for readers across the United Kingdom.
