United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric announced that an ongoing investigation conducted by the UN’s Office for Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) has decided to close a case due to insufficient evidence and has put three others on hold. These cases, instigated by Israel, pertain to accusations that 12 employees of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, were involved in a Hamas-engineered attack on October 7.
Dujarric stated that the closed case lacked any supportive proof from Israel against the implicated staff member, prompting the UN to consider administrative action. Furthermore, the three other cases have been temporarily halted as the proof received from Israel did not suffice for any investigation to proceed.
In addition to the initial 12 cases brought forward by Israel in early part of the year, seven more were later introduced in March and April. One of these has also been suspended, awaiting additional evidence, while the remaining six are still under scrutiny.
The UNRWA, employing around 13,000 individuals in Gaza, offers health, education and assistance to millions of Palestinians dispersed in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, has spoken of the agency’s crucial humanitarian role in Gaza and expressed his commitment to take immediate action on any substantial information furnished by Israel regarding infiltration by Hamas among UNRWA employees.
Initial accusations went public in January, resulting in UNRWA dismissing 10 of the accused individuals and reporting the death of the other two, though the details were not clear.
Simultaneously, a separate inquiry was initiated by the UN employing former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna to objectively assess UNRWA’s capability to maintain neutrality and handle allegations of violations. Colonna’s report, released earlier this week, highlighted UNRWA’s enhanced approach to neutrality compared to other equivalent UN or aid organisations, despite continuous neutrality-related issues.
Israel’s accusations targeting a dozen staff members of Unrwa spurred 16 nations to freeze or halt their $450 million (€420 million) funding to Unrwa. This acts as a significant setback for the agency contending with the humanitarian turmoil triggered in Gaza by Israel’s operations. Unrwa disclosed that out of these countries, 10 have recommenced their financial support, while the United States, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, and Lithuania are still withholding. A spokesperson for the UN confirmed that as of now, Unrwa has sufficient funds for its operation until June.
Following the funding pause from its predominant contributor, the US, which used to provide $300-400 million annually, the US Congress decided to sustain the contribution suspension until no earlier than March 2025, as per Reuters.
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