The Israeli Foreign Ministry welcomed the decision of the United States and Canada to stop funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), against the backdrop of Israel accusing some of the agency’s employees of involvement in the attack launched by Hamas on October 7.
On Saturday, Australia and Italy announced the suspension of their funding to the agency for the same reason.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement on Friday, “The United States is deeply concerned about allegations that 12 UNRWA employees may be involved in the terrorist attack launched by Hamas on Israel on October 7.”
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken spoke Thursday with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres with the aim of “emphasizing the need to conduct a rapid and in-depth investigation into this issue,” according to Miller.
While the US State Department referred to the “critical role” of UNRWA in helping the Palestinians, it stressed the importance of the United Nations agency “responding to these accusations and taking any appropriate corrective action.”
Italy also announced, on Saturday, the suspension of funding for the United Nations agency.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tayani previously wrote on the “X” platform, “Twitter”: “The Italian government suspended funding for UNRWA after the brutal attack on Israel on October 7.”
Does the International Court of Justice’s decision have a field impact on the Gaza war?
The minister added that some of Rome’s allies had already made the same decision.
The Italian decision comes in the wake of allegations that some UNRWA employees participated in the October 7 attacks on Israel, which were carried out by Hamas.
But Taiani did not directly mention those doubts.
On Friday, UNRWA announced the expulsion of “several” of its employees and the opening of an investigation against the backdrop of Israeli accusations.
These dangerous developments may deprive hundreds of thousands of Palestinians of the assistance they desperately need now.
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2024-01-27 10:00:29
