France will freeze all funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for at least the first half of 2024 after Israel accused some of the organisation’s members of being involved in the 7 October Hamas terrorist attacks, the French Foreign Ministry announced in a press release.
France has no current plans to make any further payments in the first half of 2024, the French Foreign Ministry said, adding that the country “will decide when the time comes what to do in conjunction with the United Nations and the main donors, ensuring that all requirements in terms of aid transparency and security are taken into account”.
“Information over the involvement of UNRWA agents in the 7 October attacks is exceptionally serious”, the press release added.
On Friday, Israel made claims that several UNRWA officials had taken part in the Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel.
In a press declaration on Sunday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres confirmed that 12 people are under suspicion and an internal investigation has been launched. Nine have been suspended, one is “confirmed dead”, and two other identities have yet to be confirmed.
“Any UN employee involved in acts of terrorism will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution”, the SG said.
But this is no reason to stop financing UNRWA aid operations on the ground, he warned.
“While I understand their concerns – I myself have been horrified by these accusations – I strongly appeal to those governments that have suspended their contributions to at least guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s operations”.
The French decision aligns with that of the US, Canada, Italy, Australia, the United Kingdom and Germany, which also announced they would freeze all UNRWA funding until further notice.
Israel’s allegations came just hours on Friday after the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in an interim ruling, called on Jerusalem to do everything possible to prevent an act of genocide in the Gaza Strip, stating that there is a “real and imminent risk” to the survival of the Palestinian people.
Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, said on X that the suspension of funding to UNRWA goes against the States’ obligations to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, as per the ICJ ruling.
UNRWA was set up in the wake of the first 1958 Arab-Israeli war to support Palestinian refugees in all occupied territories. Financed by UN member states, its budget stood at approximately $1.18 billion in 2022.
In 2023, France contributed almost €60 million to UNRWA’s activities, the foreign ministry highlighted.
(Theo Bourgery-Gonse | Euractiv.fr)
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