Sources from Israeli Foreign Ministry as “very regrettable”, according to the head of Spanish diplomacy, José Manuel Albareshas announced that Spain will not only continue to support URNWA, but will also provide 3.5 million euros to continue its activities in the short term after other donor countries have stopped funding.
“We find the Spanish government’s decision very regrettable”without even waiting“To know the outcome of the ongoing investigation following the revelation that some of the UNRWA employees were involved in the October 7 “massacre” and the links of this UN agency “to a terrorist organization such as Hamas.” Sources pointed out.
On January 26, UNRWA announced the dismissal of several of its employees after Israel revealed their involvement in the October 7 attacks, and announced the opening of an investigation, which was also joined by the UN itself. In fact, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterresappointed this Monday the external commission responsible for investigating the integrity of UNRWA, headed by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna.
Many countries have suspended their financial contributions to the UN organization
As a result of these events, numerous donor countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and several EU Member States such as: Italy or Germanyhave suspended their financial contributions to the UN agency, while others like Norway or Belgium They have reiterated their support.
Albares already announced last week that Spain would continue to support UNRWA in the current circumstances, although it is closely following the ongoing investigations, and this Monday before the Commission for International Cooperation of the House of Representatives he defended again that it is a “essential organization“.
The minister emphasized that the UN agency not only works in Gaza, but also cares for six million Palestinian refugees living in other countries such as Lebanon, Syria or Jordan. Furthermore, he emphasized, three out of four refugees are not in the Palestinian territories.
According to Albares, the fact that UNRWA has run out of funds could be due to this 1.1 million of Palestinians in Gaza who receive daily food aid, “regardless of whether they can eat tomorrow or not.”
Diplomatic crisis
This new disagreement with Israel comes after the diplomatic crisis caused by statements by the Prime Minister. Pedro Sanchezquestioning that the government of Benjamin Netanyahu respected international humanitarian law in its military offensive in Gaza.
Israel then called the ambassador to Spain for consultations. Rodica Radian Gordon, who returned to his country on November 30th. After Israel Katz finally arrived at the Foreign Ministry on January 1 and noted a “change for the better” in Spanish government messages, the diplomat returned to Madrid in the second week of January.