Canada joins the US and suspends funding to UNRWA

2024-01-27 09:31:49

The Government of Benjamin Netanyahu sets as its next objective in the fight against Hamas terrorism to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. All after, thanks to their investigations, an investigation has been opened against several of their employees for providing material assistance in the attack that Hamas perpetrated against Israel on October 7 in which Palestinian terrorists took the lives of some 1,400 people and kidnapped more than 240. Of them there are still about 140 people detained in the Strip and around thirty are children.

Attention because 12 of these UNRWA Israel employees accuses them of participating in the terrorist attack by delivering UN vehicles to Palestinian terrorists and allowing them to use UN warehouses.

Note that this is not the first time that the Netanyahu administration has assured that several of the UNRWA members are in fact Hamas terroristssomething that the UN has always denied until now.

This is why the Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, has been emphatic in announcing that The Israeli Government will pursue the definitive suspension of UNRWA activities when the war with Hamas ends. “UNRWA will not be part of the day after” in Gaza, he wrote on the social network X.

Commending the US government for its decision to cease funding to @UNRWA after it was revealed that some of its employees were involved in the heinous massacre on #October7.

We have been warning for years: @UNRWA perpetuates the refugee issue, obstructs peace, and serves as a…

— Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) January 27, 2024

Katz has reiterated that they have been warning for years that “UNRWA perpetuates the refugee issue, obstructs peace and is the civilian arm of Hamas in Gaza. It is not the solution,” he wrote, when “many of its employees are supporters of “Hamas and its murderous ideologies contribute to its terrorist activities and preserve its authority.”

Furthermore, the Israeli foreign minister has demanded that the United Nations take immediate personal action also against those responsible for the agency. A veiled message for its commissioner general, Philippe Lazzarini, who has already terminated the contract with the accused workers and has launched the investigation, he said, to establish the truth without delay.

For their part, United Nations sources have also reported that its Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, is “horrified” after being informed of what happened.

Four countries have already cut off financing

But the opening of the investigation has already had consequences beyond the borders of the Strip and Israel because Australia and Italy have just joined the United States and Canada in their decision to temporarily suspend funding to the United Nations agency in Gaza until what happened is clarified.

“Allegations that UNRWA personnel were involved in the abhorrent terrorist attacks of 7 October are deeply worrying,” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in X.

Allegations UNRWA staff were involved in the abhorrent October 7 terror attacks are deeply concerning.

Australia welcomes UNRWA’s swift response and will engage closely on investigations.

We are speaking with partners and will temporarily pause disbursement of recent funding. pic.twitter.com/Havwserjh3

— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) January 27, 2024

In Italy, it was the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, who announced the decision on the same social network.

The Italian government has suspended funding @UNRWA after the atrocious attack by Hamas against Israel on 7 October. Allied countries have recently made the same decision. We are committed to humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian population, protecting Israel’s security.

— Antonio Tajani (@Antonio_Tajani) January 27, 2024

United States and Canada concerned

In Canada, the Minister of International Development of Canada, Ahmed Hussen, has expressed the Canada’s deep concern over open investigation to several UNRWA workers. “Today, I spoke directly with the Commissioner General of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini,” he wrote on the social network X, where he indicated that his country is taking these reports very seriously and is working with UNRWA and other donors on this issue.

Canada unequivocally condemns the October 7th attack on Israel. I am deeply troubled by the allegations relating to some UNRWA employees. I have instructed Global Affairs Canada to pause all additional funding to UNRWA pending the outcome of the investigation. Read my statement: pic.twitter.com/YfEbwhKvzx

— Ahmed Hussen (@HonAhmedHussen) January 26, 2024

Hussen also thanked the order of the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, that “UNRWA investigate these very serious allegations” and added that “if the allegations turn out to be real, Canada expects UNRWA to take immediate action against those found to have been involved in the Hamas terrorist attack.

Related

Canada’s decision came hours after the United States announced that it was not only suspending funding to UNRWA, but is considering taking other measures regarding this organization “depending on the outcome” of the open investigation.

NEW: The State Department has put a temporary hold on funding for UNRWA, the main UN agency in Gaza, following allegations that 12 UNRWA employees were involved in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks in Israel pic.twitter.com/HXtr7AzISa

— Robbie Gramer (@RobbieGramer) January 26, 2024

The White House has not hidden its “extreme concern” about the accusations made by Israel against some of the workers of the United Nations agency in Gaza.

Highlight that The United States’ decision could ruin the future of UNRWA in Gaza given that the Biden administration is one of its main sources of funding. Last year alone it contributed 1,174 million dollars, which represented 29.3% of its total funds.