During a Tuesday European Parliament plenary debate in Strasbourg, European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič called for funding of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) to continue unabated, despite the agency’s links to the Hamas terror group responsible for the October 7th attack that killed over 1,200 Israelis and saw over 250 taken hostage.
Lenarčič argued that failing to fund UNRWA would have “catastrophic consequences” and put regional stability at risk, calling the agency’s work irreplaceable.
Right-wing MEPs countered by condemning the Commission for financially supporting an organization infiltrated by Hamas militants. Swedish MEP David Lega of the center-right European People’s Party said directly to EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell,
You’ve said you fully trust you and leadership to get to the bottom of alleged complicity in Hamas terrorism.
What will it take for you to understand that your trust is frankly irrelevant if UNRWA loses the trust of parties involved?
He added that EU aid to Gaza must go to more “responsible, more neutral, more trusted partners.”
Following revelations that 12 of the agency’s employees either aided or participated in the October 7th massacre, 18 countries —including Germany and the U.S., by far its largest donors—halted their funding.
Earlier this month, it also emerged that a Hamas command center had been found under the UN Agency’s Gaza Headquarters.
Thus far, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has refused to take responsibility and resign. Instead, he continues to call on the EU (the third largest donor) to continue its backing of his agency.
Meanwhile, uncertainty surrounds whether the EU’s scheduled payment in development aid of €82 million, due this week, will be similarly suspended or not.
The EU and its 27 member states have been plagued by internal division since the October 7th attacks and Israel’s subsequent response, as the bloc has failed to come up with a unified policy.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has, in the meantime, started an independent review of UNRWA to assess whether it “is doing everything within its power to ensure neutrality.” The final report is expected to be made public in late April.
Pressure on the UN to take more immediate action is increasing, however.
Last Wednesday, the Washington Post published a video that Israel says shows a UN relief worker abducting the lifeless body of an Israeli citizen, identified as Jonathan Samerano, on the day of the attack.
Samerano, together with about 260 others, was killed by Hamas fighters during the Supernova festival massacre. Several others were taken hostage by Hamas.
Samerano’s mother demanded on Monday to meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Geneva, where Guterres was attending the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
“Mr. Guterres—look at my eyes and answer me now, where is my son?” Ayelet Samerano said at the International Summit for a Future Beyond UNRWA, a conference that was taking place in the Swiss city at the same time and was organized by pro-Israel monitoring group UN Watch.
You are next door, you’re here and you have the opportunity to meet me today and tell me what are you going to do and how can you bring me back my son.
While the continued funding of the UNRWA remains uncertain the more pertinent question should be whether a comprehensive overhaul, if not abolishment, of the agency would be called for.
What is clear is that, given its present ideological outlook, the UNRWA is unfit for its intended purpose.
