Canada has decided to reinstate funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), according to a government official speaking to the Associated Press.
According to the AP report citing the anonymous official, an official announcement from International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen was expected on Wednesday but has been postponed for reasons that were not disclosed.
This move comes after UNRWA experienced a significant financial shortfall when several countries suspended their contributions amid accusations against UNRWA staff members for their alleged involvement in the Hamas attack on October 7. Israel has specifically accused 12 UNRWA employees of participation in the attack, with recent audio recordings suggesting the involvement of two additional staff members.
Following these accusations, countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada froze around $450 million in funding to the agency.
In response, UNRWA has criticized Israel for detaining and allegedly forcing some of its employees to make false confessions about their involvement with Hamas and the October 7 attack. The Israel Defense Forces have refuted these allegations of mistreatment and assured that any such behavior is strictly prohibited, pledging to investigate any reported instances of misconduct.
On Friday, the European Union announced it will allocate 50 million euros to UNRWA on the condition that it permits experts appointed by the EU to audit its staff screening processes as a means to identify extremists.
