European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Joseph Borrell on Sunday said that Israel has not presented solid evidence about the links between the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the Hamas terror organization. He called the allegations "an Israeli campaign and an attempt to 'kill' the agency."
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During a closed discussion in Brussels that lasted for two and a half hours, Burrell called for continuing European support for the UNRWA. Earlier in January, the EU, one of the largest agency's sponsors, suspended the funding over the Oct. 7 attack links allegations.
Ahead of his testimony in the UNRWA congressional hearing
Marcus Sheff, the CEO of the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education, tells i24NEWS' @benitalevin about the evidence he plans to present to Congress pic.twitter.com/2izyHJkBYR
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"While the emotions prompting suspensions of funding are understandable, political responsibility has to look beyond emotions and consider the consequences of such a step. Defunding UNRWA would be both disproportionate and dangerous," said Burrell. "In Gaza alone 13,000 local staff, who are themselves victims of the ongoing humanitarian tragedy, are playing a critical role in distributing food, water, and medicine to 1,1 million people suffering from catastrophic hunger and the outbreak of diseases."
According to the statement that followed the EU's suspension of the UNRWA financing, no additional funding to the agency is foreseen until the end of February. The European Commission is said to review the matter depending on the outcome of the investigation.
The EU appears divided over the decision. While its top diplomat Burrell as well as Spain and Belgium advocate continuation of support for the agency, most EU-members, including Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and others, back the funding suspension.
Spain will send the UNRWA an additional 3.5 million euros ($3.8 million) in aid, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Monday told lawmakers.
In the United States, the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the US Congress on Wednesday held a hearing regarding the UNRWA allegations. The participants are said to have agreed that the agency failed in every imaginable way.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
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