Australia is among a growing list of countries who have suspended funding for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) as it investigates allegations 12 staffers were involved in the October 7 attacks in Israel by Hamas.

The agency said on Friday it had opened an investigation into several employees and severed ties with those people.

The United Kingdon and Finland were the latest to announce a temporary pause, following Australia, the United States, Canada and Italy.

The UK Foreign Office said it was “appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned.”

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Saturday Australia will temporarily pause disbursement of recent funding to the UN agency as the investigation continues.

Tweet from @SenatorWong

Encouraging more donor suspensions, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said UNRWA should be replaced once fighting in the enclave dies down.

“In Gaza’s rebuilding, UNRWA must be replaced with agencies dedicated to genuine peace and development,” he added on X.

Tweet from @Israel_katz

Deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq, asked about Katz’s remarks, said: “We are not responding to rhetoric. UNRWA overall has had a strong record, which we have repeatedly underscored”.

Reuters could not immediately contact UNRWA’s communications head for comment.

UNRWA: Mostly we do good

UNRWA has always rejected similar accusations in the past and maintained it is a relief and humanitarian agency.

The Palestinian foreign ministry criticised what it described as an Israeli campaign against UNRWA, and Hamas condemned the termination of employee contracts “based on information derived from the Zionist enemy”.

UNRWA was set up to help refugees of the 1948 war at Israel’s founding to provide education, health and aid services to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

It helps about two thirds of Gaza’s 2.3 million population and has played a pivotal aid role during the war that Israel launched to eliminate Hamas after the October 7 attacks.

The UK Foreign Office said on Saturday it was temporarily pausing funding for UNRWA while the accusations were reviewed.

“The Italian government has suspended financing of the UNRWA after the atrocious attack on Israel on October 7,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on X.

The Netherlands and Finland are also suspending funding.

No tolerance for terror

Announcing the investigation, UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini said on Friday that he had decided to terminate the contracts of some staff members to protect the agency’s ability to deliver humanitarian assistance.

Lazzarini did not disclose the number of employees allegedly involved in the attacks, nor the nature of their alleged involvement.

He said, however, that “any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror” would be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution.

During weeks of Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian enclave, UNRWA has repeatedly said its capacity to render humanitarian assistance to people in Gaza is on the verge of collapse.

Hussein al-Sheikh, head of the Palestinians’ umbrella political body the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), said cutting support to the agency brought major political and relief risks.

“We call on countries that announced the cessation of their support for UNRWA to immediately reverse their decision,” he said on X.

The German foreign ministry, a major UNRWA donor, welcomed the Un body’s investigation, saying it was deeply concerned about the allegations raised against agency employees.

“We expect Lazzarini to make it clear within UNRWA’s workforce that all forms of hatred and violence are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” it said on X.

—with AAP