In a potentially damning development, a comprehensive review conducted by the United Nations has questioned Israel’s assertions regarding the affiliation of UNRWA staff with terrorist organizations.
The review of UNRWA found that the agency had “established a significant number of mechanisms and procedures to ensure compliance with the humanitarian principles, with emphasis on the principle of neutrality, and that it possesses a more developed approach to neutrality than other similar UN or NGO entities.”
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has urged donors to restore funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) after the independent review found Israel had provided “no evidence” of its claims of wrongdoing against the agency, which is the largest provider of services in Gaza.
The report’s findings regarding Israel’s claims about UNRWA staff and their alleged ties to terrorist groups could potentially damage Israel’s credibility on an international scale
According to Jeffrey Sachs, an economist and professor at Columbia University, Israel’s claims that UNRWA employees were involved in the October 7 Hamas attacks “were political” and “cruel.”
The allegations, he said, “elicited an immediate response from 16 donors … that immediately cut off funding” to the agency without waiting for evidence.
“This was politics at play, this was not substantive,” he said, adding that Israel should abide by the findings of the report.
He urged that donors should “stop this financial boycott” of the agency.
“It’s reprehensible at a time when the people of Gaza are in such urgent need,” he added.
Sachs noted that UNRWA has been “under politicised attacks” for a long time and has taken “detailed” measures to demonstrate its neutrality.
Also, Hadja Lahbib, the Foreign Minister for Belgium, said that her country was “correct in continuing our support for UNRWA.”
“The report states clearly: UNRWA is ‘irreplaceable and indispensable’ for the Palestinians,” Lahbib said in a post on X.
Lahbib also called on other countries that have “suspended their contributions to resume them.”
Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK and the US are yet to restore funding to UNRWA, while Germany has not restored funding for UNRWA’s work in Gaza specifically.
Ultimately, the findings of this review serve as a reminder of the necessity for rigorous scrutiny and evidence-based decision-making in matters of global significance.
If Israel is unable to provide credible evidence to support its accusations, it may be perceived as making unsubstantiated claims that have significant repercussions, such as causing a funding deficit for UNRWA.
This could lead to increased scrutiny of Israel’s actions and assertions in similar situations in the future, undermining its diplomatic efforts and credibility in the eyes of the international community.
However, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Oren Marmorstein said that the review of UNRWA headed by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna was insufficient and an “effort to avoid the problem and not address it head on.”
Aura Of Fear In Rafah
Meanwhile, UNRWA reported a “palpable aura of fear” among displaced Palestinians packed into the Rafah area of southern Gaza amid Israeli air attacks and promises by Israeli officials that an invasion is imminent.
“Airstrikes on Rafah have heightened concerns of an escalation in this southernmost area of Gaza, which is already hosting over half of Gaza’s population,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in the latest assessment of conditions in the war-torn territory.
A senior UNRWA official stressed the importance of allowing civilians safe passage to relocate from Rafah before the ground invasion by Israeli forces begins.
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