Austria became the 12th country to suspend payments to UNRWA amid allegations that some of its workers helped Hamas in the deadly Oct. 7 massacre in Israel.
Austria has become the twelfth country to suspend payments to the United Nations’ Palestinian aid agency (UNRWA), which provides supplies for people in Gaza, amid allegations that some of its workers were involved in the deadly surprise Hamas-led terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
The aid will remain suspended pending a full investigation into the alleged involvement of UNRWA workers, the Austrian foreign ministry said on Monday. Israel has also accused employees of the UN agency of helping keep at least one Israeli hostage captive and said UNRWA teachers celebrated the brutal attack in classrooms with students.
“We call on UNRWA and the United Nations to conduct a comprehensive, swift and complete investigation into the allegations,” the Austrian ministry said in a statement.
Austria joins the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada and Japan in pausing funding to the aid agency.
Before Austria, France and Japan were the latest to announce they would be suspending aid to the Palestinian relief agency.
“France has not planned a new payment at UNRWA in the first quarter of 2024 and will decide when the time comes what action to take in conjunction with the United Nations and the main donors,” its foreign ministry said Sunday.
Also on Sunday, Japan’s foreign ministry reiterated the good work done by some UNRWA workers but said the allegations warrant an investigation.
