The British government has said it would be temporarily pausing any future funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees after Israel accused several staff members of involvement in Hamas’s October 7 attack.
In a statement, an adviser to the Israeli prime minister claimed the 7 October Hamas attacks had involved people who were on UNRWA salaries, saying teachers working in UNRWA schools had openly celebrated the 7 October attacks.
He also referred to an Israeli hostage who, on her release, said she had been held in the house of someone who worked for UNRWA.
Reacting to the news, UK Foreign Office in a statement said it is appalled by allegations, adding that aid would be put on hold while it reviews the concerning allegations.
Earlier, the US State Department also announced that it was suspending additional funding to the UN agency, saying it was extremely troubled by the allegations of UN staff involvement in the attacks.
Since Israel began its offensive in response to the 7 October attacks, UNRWA has used its facilities across Gaza to shelter hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians.
