UAE confirms support for UN Palestine agency after Israel's accusations

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - UAE's foreign minister on Tuesday voiced support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in the wake of the agency's funding crisis, which was sparked by allegations that some of its employees in Gaza took part in the Oct. 7 cross-border attack on Israel.

In a phone call with UNRWA's Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan re-affirmed the UAE's "unwavering support" for UNRWA and the importance of the role it plays in delivering humanitarian aid and supporting Palestinian refugees, according to the local media.

UNRWA said it terminated contracts with several employees following the Israeli allegations that some of UNRWA's staff were allegedly involved in the Oct. 7 attack.

At least 12 countries — Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, Finland, Australia, the UK, the Netherlands, the US, France, Austria and Japan — have suspended funding for UNRWA, which was established in 1949 to help Palestinian refugees across the Middle East.

Al-Nahyan called on the countries that have suspended their funding to UNRWA to "urgently reconsider this decision" and continue to provide support to the agency to enable it to carry out its humanitarian tasks.

According to the reports, al-Nahyan and Lazzarini also discussed the need to ensure the urgent and safe delivery of humanitarian relief, and medical aid to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, along with preventing further loss of life.

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following an Oct. 7 Hamas attack, killing more than 26,700 Palestinians. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.