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The office of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA ) remains in question following reports that British and Israeli citizen Emily Damari was held by terrorists at a facility owned by the agency.
Circumstances of the incident
According to the mother of the freed hostage Mandy Damari, her daughter was held at one of UNRWA’s facilities in the Gaza Strip. This information caused outrage in the British government and prompted London to reconsider further funding for the agency.
The head of UNRWA, Filippe Lazarini, commented on these allegations, saying:
“We have repeatedly called for an independent investigation into reports of the use of UN facilities by Palestinian militants, including Hamas. UNRWA was forced to leave its facilities in Gaza on 13 October 2023 and has not had control over them since.”
The British government’s response
The UK Prime Minister’s Office has confirmed that it is considering terminating or suspending UNRWA’s funding until an independent investigation into the incident is completed.
Britain is one of the UN agency’s key donors, but the development raises questions about London’s continued support. A statement from the government said:
“We strongly condemn the use of humanitarian facilities to hold hostages. A transparent and impartial investigation must be conducted to reveal all the details of the incident.”
Previous accusations against UNRWA
This is not the first time UNRWA has faced criticism. The organisation has been repeatedly accused of using its facilities for military purposes by Palestinian militants. However, agency officials claim that they do not have control over their premises in the conflict zone after the evacuation of staff.
Accusations of the use of UN facilities by terrorist groups, including Hamas, threaten UNRWA’s reputation and call into question the effectiveness of the agency’s control mechanisms in the war zone.
