Australia's PM says government 'examining' claims against UNRWA

Israel-Gaza War Updates
2024-02-04 | 05:06
High views
Share
LBCI
Share
LBCI
Whatsapp
facebook
Twitter
Messenger
telegram
print
Australia's PM says government 'examining' claims against UNRWA
Whatsapp
facebook
Twitter
Messenger
telegram
print
2min
Australia's PM says government 'examining' claims against UNRWA

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday his government was probing claims that some staff of the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) were involved in the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, after Australia paused funding to the aid agency last month.

Australia is one of several countries to have halted funding for UNRWA, a critical source of support in Gaza, after Israeli claims of UN employees' complicity with Hamas.

"We're examining it, along with other like-minded countries like Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. We want that to be resolved," Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp regarding the allegations, according to a transcript.

Albanese said his government wanted to make sure the accusations were "fully examined" so that all funding was "going to the purpose for which it is given."

The prime minister added that he did not want people "literally starving" in Gaza and "the only organization that can provide that support there is UNRWA".

Late last month, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Finland joined the United States, Australia and Canada in pausing funding to the aid agency.

The agency has opened an investigation into several employees and has severed ties with those people, it has said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in January described UNRWA as "the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza" and has appealed to all countries to "guarantee the continuity of UNRWA's lifesaving work."

The agency, whose biggest donors in 2022 included the US, Germany and the European Union, has repeatedly said its capacity to render humanitarian assistance to people in Gaza is on the verge of collapse.



Reuters
Israel Gaza War Updates 

World News

Middle East News

Israel-Gaza War Updates

Australia

PM

Government

Claims

UNRWA

LBCI Next
Hamas confirms submission of official response to hostage and ceasefire proposal: Official says
Download now the LBCI mobile app
To see the latest news, the latest daily programs in Lebanon and the world
Google Play
App Store
We use
cookies
We use cookies to make
your experience on this
website better.
Accept
Learn More