Ireland has no plan to suspend funding for UN agency’s vital Gaza work: Foreign minister

LONDON (AA) – Ireland supports investigation into alleged involvement of some UN staff in the October 7 attacks, but will not pause aid for Gaza.

“Full confidence in @UNLazzarini’s (agency head Philippe Lazzarini) decision to immediately suspend @UNRWA staff suspected of participation in the heinous attacks of October 7, to investigate thoroughly and show zero tolerance on terror,” Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin wrote on X.

He said that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees provided life-saving assistance to 2.3 million people and at incredible personal cost – with over 100 staff killed in the last four months.

“Ireland has no plans to suspend funding for UNRWA’s vital Gaza work,” underlined Martin.

He added that Ireland provided the UNRWA €18 million ($19.5 million) in 2023 and will continue its support in 2024.

The decision to continue support came after some countries, including the US, Italy and Australia, decided to suspend funding to the agency following the unsubstantiated claims.

The UK and Finland have also announced suspension of funding to the UNRWA.

After the Israeli allegations, the agency on Friday said that it terminated contracts with several of its staffers over their alleged involvement in the October 7 events.

In its relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7, Israel has killed at least 26,083 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 64,487, 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.