Germany and 15 other U.N. member countries suspended $450 million worth of funding after Israel accused 12 UNRWA employees of participating in the Oct. 7 terror attack, the report said. Of those implicated, 10 saw their contracts terminated by the UNRWA while two were confirmed dead, according to the U.N.
The funding cuts came as the humanitarian situation in Gaza grew increasingly dire. Israel’s military operation there has killed more than 34,000 people and left the territory on the brink of famine.
Following the release of the report Monday, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said, without providing evidence, that Hamas’ penetration of the U.N. agency runs so deep that “it is impossible to say where UNRWA ends and Hamas begins.”
UNRWA — which was created in 1949 and operates in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria — has been playing a crucial role in supporting vulnerable Palestinian refugees in accessing vital services such as primary and vocational education, primary health care, relief and social services.