Complete Sanction on UNRWA; US State Department Seeking Replacement Organization for Aid to Gaza

Following the "scandal" of the involvement of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) personnel in Hamas's attacks on Israel on October 7 and the suspension of US aid to this agency, the US State Department announced it is looking for a replacement organization to send aid to Gaza. The Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department stated on Monday, February 5, at a press conference: "We are exploring options to support civilians in Gaza through our partners such as the World Food Program, UNICEF, and other NGOs, but UNRWA will no longer have a place in our cooperation and receiving our aid." Vedant Patel emphasized that no part of the recently approved $1.4 billion humanitarian aid package for Gaza by the US Senate would go to UNRWA, as there is a provision in this law that prohibits us from aiding UNRWA, and we are a government that abides by the law. He also noted: "The United States still believes that UNRWA's work is vital, and for this reason, it is pressuring the United Nations to expedite its investigations into UNRWA and implement the necessary reforms in this agency." Earlier in February, Israel announced that some UNRWA personnel were involved in kidnapping and killing Israelis during the Hamas attack on October 7, with around 190 employees of the agency, including teachers, being active as Hamas or "Islamic Jihad" militants. In response to this incident, the United States temporarily halted its financial assistance to this agency and called for an investigation. Other countries, including the UK, Italy, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, and Australia, also suspended their aid to UNRWA. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that "any UN staff member involved in terrorist actions will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution, and the UN Secretariat is ready to cooperate with a competent authority to prosecute these individuals, in accordance with the usual procedures of the Secretariat for such collaborations." UNRWA, established in 1949 by the United Nations, currently has 58 offices in the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, and had a turnover of at least $1.7 billion in 2022. The EU foreign policy chief stated that cutting financial aid to UNRWA is dangerous. The Israeli Foreign Minister claimed that UNRWA is part of Hamas's killing machine and has no place in Gaza after the war. Netanyahu called for the closure of the "UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees." The UK, Italy, and Finland also suspended their financial aid to UNRWA, and Canada suspended its financial assistance to UNRWA due to allegations related to the Hamas attack.