US And UK Stop Funding UNRWA After Israel Accuses Of Their Involvement In October 7 Attack

Sambuh WHO via news.un.org/Kamp pengungan di selatan Gaza

JAKARTA - Britain, the United States, and several countries have decided to temporarily suspend funding the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) after Israel accused several UNRWA staff of being involved in the October 7 attack.

Italy, Australia, Canada, and Finland also said they would temporarily suspend funding UNRWA, after claims that some of the UN members were involved in Hamas' attack on Israel.

Following Israel's accusations, UNRWA on Friday said it had fired several of its staff on suspicion of involvement in the October 7 attack on Israel.

Britain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported as quoted by Antara on Saturday that Britain "will temporarily stop funding for UNRWA, while reviewing the allegations."

"We remain committed to providing humanitarian assistance to the Gazans they desperately need."

Finnish Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio on Saturday said his country would suspend funding for the UN agency due to Israeli accusations.

"This case must be thoroughly investigated," said the minister.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday requested a "fast" investigation into Israel's accusations against the UNRWA staff.

UNRWA is not only a UN agency targeted by Israel, but also the World Health Organization (WHO).

Israel has launched non-stop air and landstrikes in the Gaza Strip since cross-border attacks by Hamas on October 7, which Tel Aviv says killed 1,200 people.

At least 26,083 Palestinians have died, most of whom were women and children, and 64,487 people have been injured.

Israel's attacks also left 85 percent of Gaza's population displaced amid food, clean water, and medicine crises, while 60 percent of the Palestinian's pockets were damaged or destroyed, according to the United Nations.