Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, has stated that an independent review of the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) found Israel’s allegations baseless and part of a “systematic campaign” aimed at shutting down the agency.
Aboul Gheit called for all countries that had suspended funding to UNRWA to swiftly resume financial assistance, emphasizing it as a “humanitarian necessity and a moral duty.” He specifically urged the United States, UNRWA’s largest donor, to reconsider its funding suspension.
The independent investigation, conducted earlier this week, concluded that Israel had provided no evidence to support its accusations that some UNRWA staff collaborated with Hamas during an attack on October 7.
Israel’s allegations resulted in 16 donor countries suspending or pausing funding to UNRWA, leading to a significant financial gap of around $450 million. This funding shortfall comes at a critical time when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are struggling to survive amidst war and starvation.
