The European Commision said Friday that it will resume funding for the UNRWA after reports cast doubt on Israeli government claims that employees had been involved in the Oct. 7 attacks. File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI |
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March 1 (UPI) -- The European Union will resume funding for the United Nations Relief Works Agency as international agencies and media reports cast doubt on Israeli government claims that employees took part in the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel.
"Following the exchange of letters with UNRWA confirming its commitments, the commission will proceed disburse a first tranche of EUR 50 million out of the EUR 82 million foreseen for UNRWA for 2024," the European Commission said in a press release Friday.
In January, the Israeli government claimed 12 UNRWA employees were involved in the Oct. 7 attacks inside Israel.
The accusations prompted the U.S. government, as well as the governments of multiple contributing states, to halt aid to UNRWA, and the organization subsequently fired employees.
"We stand by the Palestinian people in Gaza and elsewhere in the region. Innocent Palestinians should not have to pay the price for the crimes of terrorist group Hamas," said European Commision President Ursula von der Leyen.
"They face terrible conditions putting their lives at risk because of lack of access to sufficient food and other basic needs. That is why we are reinforcing our support to them this year by a further EUR 68 million," von der Leyen said.
Earlier this month, UNRWA commissioner general Phillipe Lazzarini said the employees had been fired without evidence and that the claims were under investigation.
"If the investigation tells us that this was wrong, in that case at the U.N. we will take a decision for how to properly compensate them," Lazzarini said.
Multiple news reports, including from the Daily Beast and Britain's Channel 4, found that Israeli reports alleging UNRWA staff involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks were unsubstantiated.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. intelligence community assessed the claims as plausible with "low confidence."
Sources told the Wall Street Journal that a U.S. intelligence report contained passages referring to the potential of Israeli government bias affecting the validity of the claims.
The United Nations subsequently has cast doubt on the allegations, saying they were presented without evidence.
"UNRWA has not received any information, let alone any evidence, from the Israeli Authorities or any other member state about the ... claim," the UN said in a press release.
"The names of the 12 individuals against whom allegations were made were all shared multiple times with Israel and other member states," the United Nations said. "Prior to January 2024, UNRWA did not receive any indication from the relevant authorities of any involvement of its staff in armed or militant groups."
In February, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres also reaffirmed his commitment to UNRWA, calling the organization "the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza."
According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, more than 30,000 people have been killed by the Israeli military since Oct. 7.
