Italy, Canada, and Australia have decided to suspend their funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) following allegations made by Israeli authorities that some of the agency’s employees may have been involved in an attack on October 7th.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced the suspension of Italy’s funding to UNRWA, and Canada and Australia also followed suit with their decisions to temporarily halt funding.
The United States had previously announced a “temporary suspension” of all future funding to UNRWA, which plays a crucial role in providing aid to civilians in Gaza during the ongoing conflicts between the Israeli military and Hamas.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed “serious concern” about the allegations and stated that her country would temporarily suspend funding while conducting a thorough investigation.
Canadian International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen also announced a temporary suspension of additional funding to UNRWA pending a comprehensive investigation into the allegations.
UNRWA reacted promptly to the allegations, with Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini taking immediate action by terminating the contracts of the employees in question and initiating an investigation into the matter.
