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According to Israeli accusations, twelve UNRWA employees in the Gaza Strip were involved in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 last year. The UN Secretary General António Guterres announced an investigation and was shocked by the allegations. The UN initially did not say how the operatives might have been involved in the Hamas massacre in Israel.
Switzerland was informed of the allegations on Friday, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs (EDA) said. In the statement, the State Department expressed “extreme concern” to Keystone-SDA about these “serious allegations.”
The aid funds planned for 2024 have not yet been transferred, the EDA writes in response to a request from the Keystone-SDA news agency. It is a contribution of 20 million francs.
As Parliament decided during its winter session, humanitarian funds for the Middle East will be disbursed in 2024 only after consultation with the foreign policy committees and in tranches. According to the EDA, this consultation has not yet taken place.
In a debate on the Forum program on RTS radio in western Switzerland, National Councilor Pierre-André Page (SVP/FR) spoke out in favor of suspending contributions to UNRWA. As a member of the Foreign Policy Committee, he announced that this financing would be discussed at the next meeting, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
His party colleague David Zuberbühler (AR) announced on Saturday in the SRF Tagesschau that he would probably submit a proposal in the spring session so that these funds would no longer be used.
Green National Councilor Felix Wettstein also said in the SRF Tagesschau on Saturday that the UN Palestinian aid agency must clean up. But the layoffs show that this is also the case.
“It shows that UNRWA is able to release people if they have shown solidarity with terror or even participated in it. This suggests that UNRWA is working. If we deny her the money, she will have no choice and will no longer be able to provide any assistance to the civilian population.”
Several countries, including the US and Germany, the two largest contributors, have now stopped providing aid. The head of the United Nations called on Sunday to ensure the continuation of the UN agency’s activities. “Two million civilians in Gaza depend on UNRWA assistance for their daily survival,” Guterres said.
The Swiss head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, also warned on the online platform X that payments would be interrupted. He said he was shocked that such decisions were made based on the alleged behavior of a few people. “The Palestinians in Gaza did not need additional collective punishment,” Lazzarini wrote.
The United Nations established UNRWA in 1949 to help Palestinian refugees. According to the organization, approximately 5.9 million people are now entitled to its services. They include Palestinians who fled or were expelled in 1948, as well as their descendants. UNRWA is active in Jordan, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, among others. (SDA)
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
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