US Suspends Funding to UNRWA Due to Allegations of Hamas Staff Involvement

The United States has decided to temporarily stop funding the UN agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, due to allegations of staff involvement in the Hamas attacks on October 7. UNRWA has responded by terminating several employees and initiating an investigation based on information provided by Israel. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed shock at the news and has called for a prompt investigation. The attack carried out by Hamas resulted in the deaths of 1,300 individuals, primarily civilians, with an additional 250 people being taken hostage. These events led to retaliatory attacks by Israel in Gaza, causing the deaths of over 26,000 Palestinians according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the region. The US State Department announced the decision to halt funding, expressing deep concern over the allegations of UN staff involvement in the attacks. Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, confirmed that Israel had shared information linking several employees to the attacks. He stated that UNRWA had begun investigating the individuals and severed ties with them. An adviser to the Israeli prime minister revealed that the attackers were individuals who were on the payroll of UNRWA. The adviser also mentioned incidents where teachers in UNRWA schools openly celebrated the attacks and a released Israeli hostage claimed to have been held in a house owned by a UNRWA employee. The adviser urged UN investigators to explore the connection between UNRWA and Hamas, emphasizing that the Hamas-controlled union within the organization should be investigated. UN chief Antonio Guterres has asked Mr. Lazzarini to swiftly investigate the matter and ensure that any UNRWA employee found to have participated or supported the October 7 attack is immediately terminated and potentially prosecuted. The US welcomed Guterres's call for a thorough investigation, and the European Union expressed extreme concern about the allegations, indicating that they would assess the situation based on the outcome of a comprehensive investigation.