The Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katzthanked this Saturday USA and Canada for suspending its funding for the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), in the midst of a scandal that involves several members of the organization with the Islamist group Hamas.
“I congratulate the government of USA for its decision to stop funding UNRWA after it was revealed that some of its employees were involved in the heinous October 7 massacre,” Katz said in a statement.
“I applaud Canada for joining this decision and I hope that other nations follow their example. The UNRWA “You must pay a price for your actions.” he added.
On October 7, Hamas detonated the war by carrying out an attack that included the launching of thousands of rockets and the simultaneous infiltration of militiamen who massacred some 1,200 people and they kidnapped another 250 in Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip.
“We have been warning for years: UNRWA perpetuates the refugee issue, obstructs peace and serves as a civilian arm of Hamas in Loop”, Katz said, emphasizing that he will personally work to promote a policy that ensures that the UNRWA is not part of the operation in the Strip once the war is over.
“We will work to build bipartisan support in the United States, the European Union and other nations globally for this policy to stop the activities of the UNRWA in Loop”he explained.
UNRWA announced yesterday that it will immediately terminate the contracts of several staff members, after Israeli authorities provided “information regarding the alleged involvement of several employees in the horrific attacks against Israel on October 7.”
An investigation will also begin “to establish the truth without delay,” as well as “to protect the agency’s ability to provide assistance” in Loopwhere 85% of the population (1.9 million Palestinians) is displaced and experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
The United States, Israel’s main partner and arms supplier, saido “extremely concerned by allegations that twelve UNRWA employees may have been involved in the attack terrorist” and temporarily suspended funding to the agency while it investigates and determines what action the United Nations will take.
However, USA recognized that the agency has played so far “a fundamental paper” to provide assistance to Palestinians, such as food and medicine, and has “saved lives”.
For his part, the Minister of International Development of Canada, Ahmed Hussenannounced on Friday that the federal government had decided to suspend additional funding to the UNRWA.
With more than 30,000 employees, the UNRWA is the largest organization of Loop outside the Government of the Strip, de facto controlled by Hamas since 2007.
The Israeli offensive has left the Palestinian enclave more than 26,000 deadmost of them children and women, and another 64,487 injured, while survivors face an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
Under the rains and frosts of winter, thousands of families with children and the elderly live in plastic tents in the open, amid the outbreak of epidemics and the collapse of hospitals, in addition to the persistent shortage of drinking water, food, medicine and electricity.
