Germany resumes funding to UNRWA despite accusations of the organization's involvement in attacks on Israel

The German government intends to resume funding to the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA) now that the investigation into the alleged involvement of several agency employees in the attacks perpetrated by the Hamas terrorist group against Israel on October 7, 2023, has been concluded.

The supposed involvement of several workers led several countries, including Germany, to temporarily cut funding to UNRWA. Germany has decided to reissue funding now that the investigation has been concluded. No firm evidence was presented regarding the accusations against UNRWA, according to the German government.

The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development issued a joint statement saying, "The German government will shortly resume its cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza, as countries including Australia, Canada, Sweden and Japan have already done. Germany will liaise closely with its key international partners on the disbursement of further funding. UNRWA’s short-term financing needs in Gaza are currently covered by existing funding." The European Union also resumed its funding to the agency.

Germany was part of a group of countries that decided to stop funding UNRWA. Other countries that also did so were the United States, reported through the Department of State (DOS), Italy, the Netherlands and Australia.

Who was under investigation for what?

Germany claims that there was no conclusive evidence of involvement, which contradicts reports issued by Israel that specifically accuse individual UNRWA workers of specific crimes. The accused are Mousa El Qidra (kidnapping of an Israeli woman), Rami Ramadan (receiving and holding hostages), Faisal Al Naami (collaborated in the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier and coordinated the transfer of weapons), Abd Abu Awad (platoon commander), Mohammad El Ghafari (Hamas squad commander), Ali Isa Hamuda Matar (Hamas platoon commander), Shadi Mohammad Jamal Razak Darabiah (logistics operatives) and Ala Abd Al Hamid Qassem Jouda (Hamas company commander).

The U.N. organization has been accused on other occasions of favoring Hamas. They allegedly train terrorists in their schools and silence reports of theft.