Israel, Unrwa and the West: A history of claims and cuts
Alex MacDonald | As a number of Israel's allies cut funding to the refugee body, MEE looks at its turbulent history with the international community | Claims by Israel that 12 employees of the United Nations agency for Palestine refugees (Unrwa) took part in the 7 October attack on southern Israel have prompted a number of countries to pause funding to the agency. ● The nine donors, namely the US, UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, Australia, and Canada, cut off support for the agency on Saturday following the allegations, prompting warnings from the body that it will lose the ability to provide aid to the 2.2 million people that use its services after February. ● It has long been a claim of Israel's that Unrwa - first established in 1949 to accomodate the Palestinian refugees forcibly displaced from their homes during the creation of the state - is effectively a hub for Palestinian militancy.