Many Countries Halt Funding to UNRWA Over Claims of 12 Staff’s Involvement in 7 Oct Massacre in Israel

Defense News ,World :- In the wake of halted funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinians, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has called on donor states to guarantee the continuous flow of aid to Gaza. The funding suspension came after accusations that some UNRWA staff participated in the October 7 massacre, leading to dismissals and a deepening crisis.

As the dispute over UNRWA intensified, heavy fighting in besieged Gaza forced more people to flee towards the Egyptian border. Donor countries, including Germany, Britain, Italy, Australia, and Finland, followed the United States in suspending additional funding over the allegations.

In response, Guterres expressed understanding of the concerns but appealed to governments to ensure the continuity of UNRWA's operations, emphasizing that the alleged acts of a few staff members should not penalize the organization's broader humanitarian efforts.

The UNRWA, which has 13,000 staffers in Gaza, primarily Palestinians, provides essential services such as medical care and education to Palestinian families displaced during the 1948 Independence War. Guterres confirmed the termination of nine employees accused of involvement in the October 7 attack, with one confirmed dead, and accountability measures, including criminal prosecution, for all involved.

Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, criticized Guterres for seeking funds for UNRWA, accusing him of prioritizing the organization over the safety of Israeli citizens. Erdan called for a comprehensive investigation into UNRWA's alleged support for terrorism.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz demanded the resignation of UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini, asserting that the organization should be replaced with agencies dedicated to genuine peace and development. The funding cuts raised concerns about the agency's operations in Gaza nearing collapse, as expressed by Lazzarini.

The conflict that erupted on 7 October when some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, were killed by Hamas terrorists who rampaged across southern Israel. Another 253 people, also largely civilians, were abducted and taken into Gaza, where 132 remain.