Palestinian Authority calls for immediate reversal of US, Canada funding suspension for UN agency

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – A top official of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Saturday called on the US and Canada to reverse the suspension of new funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

“We call on the countries that announced the cessation of their support for UNRWA to immediately reverse their decision,” said Hussein al-Sheikh, the secretary-general of the PLO.

He said the suspension “entails great political and humanitarian relief risks, as at this particular time and in light of the continuing aggression against the Palestinian people, we need the maximum support for this international organization and not stopping support and assistance to it.”

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said that the “Israeli incitement against UNRWA is a premeditated campaign.”

Without naming the US and Canada, the ministry urged “some countries to reconsider their actions against UNRWA, considering them preemptive to investigations and a violation of its humanitarian relief authorities and duties.”

Earlier on Saturday, the US and Canada announced the suspension of new funding to UNRWA, following Israel’s accusation that some of the agency’s employees participated in the attack launched by the Hamas movement on Oct. 7.

On Friday, UN chief Antonio Guterres asked for a “swift” investigation of the Israeli allegations against the UN agency employees.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an attack by Hamas, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,140 people. It has killed at least 26,257 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 64,797 since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian health authorities.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.