Israel finds it “very regrettable” that Spain has increased its funding to UNRWA without waiting for the investigation to conclude
sources of israeli foreign ministry Considered “very regrettable” after the head of Spanish diplomacy, Jose Manuel Albereshas announced that Spain will not only continue to support URNWA but will also provide 3.5 million euros so that it can continue its activities in the short term after other donor countries suspended funding.
“We find the decision of the Spanish government extremely regrettable.”without even waitingTo know the outcome of the ongoing investigation after it was revealed that some UNRWA workers participated in the October 7 “massacre” and that the UN agency has links “with terrorist organizations like Hamas”, the sources said.
On 26 January, UNRWA announced the dismissal of several of its staff after Israel revealed that they had taken part in the 7 October attacks and announced the launch of an investigation, in which the United Nations also joined. In fact, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio GuterresThis Monday appointed the external commission responsible for studying the integrity of UNRWA under the direction of former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonnade.
Several countries have suspended their financial contributions to the UN agency
As a result of these events, many donor countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and several European Union member states, became involved. Italy or Germanyhas suspended its financial contributions to the UN agency, while others such as Norway or Belgium He has reiterated his support.
Alberes had already announced last week that Spain would continue to support UNRWA under the current circumstances, although closely monitoring the ongoing investigation, and this Monday, before the Commission for International Cooperation of the Congress of Deputies, he once again defended that it “necessary organization,
The minister stressed that the UN agency not only works in Gaza but also takes care of the 6 million Palestinian refugees living in other countries such as Lebanon, Syria or Jordan. Furthermore, he highlighted that three of the four are not in the Palestinian territories.
According to Alberes, the fact is that UNRWA has run out of funds. 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza receive daily food aid “whether they can eat tomorrow or not.”
diplomatic crisis
This new disagreement with Israel follows a diplomatic crisis caused by the government’s presidential statements. pedro sanchezHe has questioned the government benjamin netanyahu was respecting international humanitarian law in its military offensive in Gaza.
Then, Israel called the ambassador to Spain for consultations, Rodica Radian-GordonWho returned to his country on 30 November. Ultimately, after Israel Katz’s arrival at the Foreign Ministry on 1 January and seeing a “change for the better” in messages from the Spanish government, the diplomats returned to Madrid in the second week of January.