Israel accused 12 of its employees of participating in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel that killed 1,200 people and left about 250 others held hostage in Gaza. In response, more than a dozen countries including Canada suspended funding to UNRWA worth about $450 million, almost half its budget for the year.Two U.N. investigations into Israel’s allegations were already underway when the European Union said last Friday it will give 50 million euros ($54 million) to UNRWA after the agency agreed to allow EU-appointed experts to audit the way it screens staff to identify extremists.Israel now alleges that 450 UNRWA employees were members of militant groups in Gaza, though it has provided no evidence.The Canadian government is due to contribute $25 million Canadian ($19 million) to UNRWA in April and did not miss a payment as a result of the pause.Canada will also send $100,000 Canadian (US$74,000) to the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization for supplies including food and blankets to be delivered to the territory. The Canadian military will also send 300 cargo parachutes to Jordan to help with airdrops of critical supplies.UNRWA in a statement has accused Israel of detaining several of its staffers and using torture and ill treatment to force them to give false confessions about the links between the agency, Hamas and the Oct. 7 attack.The attack sparked an Israeli invasion that Gaza’s Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas, says has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians.
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