Countries stop funding for UN refugee agency in Gaza amid staff’s October 7 involvement claims.

By – Shubhendra Singh Rajawat

On Saturday, Britain, Italy, and Finland became the latest countries to halt funding for the United Nations refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA).

The United Nations refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) saw financing paused on Saturday by Britain, Italy, and Finland, the latest nation to do so in response to claims that its employees were complicit in the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7.

UNRWA was established to assist refugees from Israel’s 1948 conflict and now provides education, health, and relief services to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. It provides assistance to around two-thirds of Gaza’s 2.3 million people and has played an important role in the ongoing conflict.

The United States, Australia, and Canada had previously halted assistance agency financing after Israel claimed 12 UNRWA staffers were involved in the cross-border attack. The agency has launched a probe into many employees who cut relations with them.

The Palestinian foreign ministry denounced what it called an Israeli campaign against UNRWA, while the Hamas militant group criticized the termination of staff contracts “based on information derived from the Zionist enemy.”

The UK Foreign Office said it was temporarily suspending financing for UNRWA while the claims were investigated, adding that London had denounced the Oct. 7 bombings as “heinous” terrorism.

“The Italian government has suspended funding for UNRWA following the atrocious attack on Israel on October 7,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated on social media platform X.

Finland also announced that financing had been suspended.

Hussein al-Sheikh, head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), stated that reducing support posed significant political and humanitarian hazards.

“We call on nations that announced a halt of their support for UNRWA to immediately reverse their decision,”