Austria and Other Countries Suspend Funding for UNRWA Amid Allegations

UNRWA faces investigation after allegations of staff involvement in Hamas attack, prompting multiple countries to pause funding.

Austria has suspended all further funding for the United Nations relief agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) following allegations that 12 of its employees were involved in Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has terminated the contracts of implicated staff members and launched an investigation into the allegations.
Since the allegations were raised, some 10 countries have paused funding for the aid agency, including Britain, Canada, the United States, and Germany.
UNRWA has been the primary relief agency for more than 2 million people in Gaza, where an estimated 85%, or 1.9 million people, have been displaced due to the ongoing war between Israel and Iran-backed Hamas.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has appealed to countries that have suspended funding to reconsider, stating that any employee involved in acts of terror will be held accountable.