Israeli occupation Independent investigation confirms Israel accused UNRWA without evidence – El Salto
The international community has turned its back on the Israeli version and confirmed that it was another war propaganda campaign: according to an independent UN investigation led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonnade, Tel Aviv sought to support its allegations. There is no credible evidence to suggest that UNRWA workers in Palestine had ties to Hamas and the October 7 attacks.
Israel’s accusation came days after a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest judicial body of the UN system, in late January, in which the Court ordered a series of precautionary measures, among them, the entry of humanitarian aid. Obligation not to cause obstruction.
An independent UN investigation led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonnade turned its back on the Israeli version and confirmed that it was another war propaganda campaign.
Far from complying with the ICJ’s binding directive, allegations that UNRWA “recruited terrorists” led several countries to withdraw funding from the refugee agency, which coordinates all humanitarian aid reaching the Strip and Vital for the survival of thousands of families. Gaza’s overcrowded refugee camps.
Countries that withdrew their funding included the United States, Germany, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, Japan, Finland, Iceland, New Zealand, and France. Overall, Israel’s false allegations, as confirmed by recent independent investigations, have compromised approximately 60% of the aid received by this entity. The US and Germany alone provide about 37% of UNRWA funds.
According to the report, Israeli intelligence made allegations against the refugee agency without evidence, including reference to several agency facilities that were allegedly used by Hamas in the October 7 attack. Additionally, Israeli services said that 12 agency operatives had directly participated in the attacks and another 190 had offered logistical and intelligence assistance. In March, Tel Aviv claimed it had evidence implicating four other members of the agency.
Of the 18 countries that have suspended their funding, only the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and the Netherlands have maintained their boycott of the UN refugee agency today.
Three Nordic organizations are involved in the research: the Swedish Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, the Norwegian Michelsen Institute and the Danish Institute for Human Rights. These independent organizations agree with Colonna’s findings and assure that “to date, the Israeli authorities have provided no evidence to prove the agency’s support for the attacks”, “nor have they submitted a report to UNRWA in March and again in April. has responded to UNRWA’s letters, requesting names and supporting evidence that would allow UNRWA to begin an investigation.
Of the 18 countries that have suspended their funding, only the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and the Netherlands have maintained their boycott of the refugee agency today. The rest reversed their decision and some countries like Spain have increased their contribution. The United Kingdom said it would await the outcome of this investigation before making a decision on the matter.
More than 40,000 people killed
As more than 200 days have passed since Israeli attacks on the Palestinian population and the stated objective of the Israeli attack, “eliminating Hamas” does not appear to be imminent, Gaza health sources have increased the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces. Israel at 34,183. These numbers include at least 8,000 Palestinians whom Palestinian officials estimate are buried under debris or in mass graves. According to Gaza authorities, mass graves found on 22 April in the courtyard of Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis contained the bodies of more than 280 Palestinians who had been “passively murdered”.
The attacks are also spreading into the West Bank, where at least 17 Palestinians were killed in clashes and raids by Israeli forces in the past 48 hours. Following the October 7 attacks, army raids and attacks on Israeli settlers have caused at least 480 deaths among the Palestinian population in the West Bank.