Italy, Canada, Australia join US in pulling funding for UN Palestinian agency

Italy, Canada and Australia followed the United States in withdrawing their financing support for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees after several of its employees were suspected of involvement in the October 7 Hamas attacks against Israel.

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on January 27 confirmed Rome’s decision to halt funding for the UN agency, known as UNRWA, in a posting on X, per Politico.

Penny Wong, Australia’s foreign minister, made a similar statement on pausing Canberra’s financial support, adding that she had welcomed the UN agency’s decision to investigate the allegations.

“I am deeply troubled by the allegations relating to some UNRWA employees,” Ahmed Hussen, Canada’s minister for international development, said in a statement on social media. “Canada unequivocally condemns the October 7th attack on Israel.”

On Friday, the U.S. — the UN agency’s largest donor — similarly suspended its funding after Israel provided evidence via its security services that 12 of UNRWA’s employees may have been involved in the October 7 attacks, when Hamas militants rampaged into southern Israel, killing at least 1,200 people and taking more than 250 others hostage.

“To protect the agency’s ability to deliver humanitarian assistance, I have taken the decision to immediately terminate the contracts of these staff members and launch an investigation in order to establish the truth without delay,” said Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA commissioner-general, said in a statement on Friday.

The UN agency, created in 1949, provides health care, education and other humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. In the wake of the October 7 attack, UNRWA used its facilities across Gaza to shelter civilians fleeing Israel’s ground offensive against Hamas militants.