UN forms independent panel to probe UNRWA agency working in Palestine

Today, the UN announced that it has designated an impartial committee to evaluate the impartiality of UNRWA, the troubled organization entrusted with providing aid to Palestinian refugees. More than a dozen nations, including the US, Germany, the UK, and Sweden, have cut off financing to UNRWA in response to Israel’s allegations that 12 of its employees were complicit in the October 7 Hamas attack. Following Israel’s charges, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres convened an impartial commission headed by French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to examine the organization’s Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA). More than a dozen nations, including the US, Germany, the UK, and Sweden, stopped providing funding to UNRWA after Israel asserted that 12 employees were involved in the October 7 Hamas attack. Only one day had passed since Tel Aviv was urged by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to stop the slaughter in Gaza before Israel leveled these accusations. The court ordered Israel to take steps to alleviate the humanitarian situation and make sure its forces do not commit genocide. Within a month, Israel is to report to the court on its efforts to enforce the ruling. The UNRWA, which has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Norway, has issued a warning that if financing is severely reduced, it will have to shut down by the end of the month. Josep Borrell, the head of EU foreign policy, issued a dire warning on Sunday regarding the extreme unwiseness of the defunding efforts for UNRWA. (With agency inputs)