The European Union is withholding €32m from the UN agency working in Gaza despite lacking evidence that any of its staff, as claimed by Israel, were involved in the 7 October attacks.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was supposed to receive €82m in EU funding but will now only receive €50m.
The European Commission announced on Friday (1 March) that the remaining amount will be released after an internal audit to investigate potential Hamas connections.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini expressed gratitude for the €50m but emphasized the necessity of the full amount for the agency’s operations in a volatile area.
These developments come in the wake of more than 100 Palestinian casualties during an aid delivery in Gaza on Thursday, prompting widespread condemnation.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Charles Michel have called for transparency and an investigation into the deaths, standing in solidarity with civilians and urging their protection in accordance with international law.
However, they refrained from directly condemning or singling out Israel.
French president Emmanuel Macron, on the other hand, accused Israel of targeting civilians, while Israel maintains that the deaths were a result of a stampede.
The European Commission has not taken action to review a trade agreement with Israel that includes human rights obligations, despite calls from Spain and Ireland to leverage the agreement to prevent civilian deaths in Gaza.
Over 30,000 people have been killed since 7 October.
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The European Commission asserts that decisions regarding such actions need to be discussed among member states, with the EU’s foreign policy spokesperson, Peter Stano, stating that there are no new developments to comment on at this time.
This stance contrasts with the EU’s swift response to allegations that 12 UNRWA staff members were involved in the 7 October attacks against Israel, prompting a review of funding for the agency in late January after receiving no evidence from Israel or other donors.
The commission plans to allocate an additional €68m to support the Palestinian population through international partners like the Red Cross and the Red Crescent, in addition to €125m in humanitarian aid for Palestinians in 2024, with an initial €16m contracted on Friday.
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