On 26th January 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) handed down its report on South Africa’s allegation that Israel had committed genocidal acts in its war on Gaza. The ICJ found that South Africa’s claim had plausibility. The ICJ also found that Palestinians in Gaza were facing a humanitarian catastrophe as a result of Israel’s massive air and land assaults on the besieged enclave since 7th October 2023.
Accordingly, the ICJ’s interim order required Israel to comply with the 1948 Genocide Convention, permit the resumption of adequate supplies of humanitarian aid into Gaza and act against those who were propagating genocidal statements.
Israel’s allegations
Coinciding with the release of the ICJ’s interim order and summary report, Israeli authorities made public its allegation that several UNRWA employees – a total of 12 in number – had been involved in some form with Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on 7th October 2023. No evidence regarding these allegations was publicly forthcoming.
Following the airing of these allegations, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near Eas (UNRWA) immediately took action to terminate the contracts of these staff members and launched an investigation in order to establish the truth without delay. UNRWA stated that any employee who was involved in acts of terror would be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution.1
Australia’s response
In the days immediately following Israel’s allegations, Australia followed the US and suspended its funding to UNRWA. A total of nine donor nations, including Germany, UK, and Canada, followed suit.
In Australia’s case, the funding suspended amounted to $6 million in top-up funding that Foreign Minister Penny Wong had announced in mid-January. It does not include Australia’s core funding of $20 million for the 2023-2024 financial year that was allocated by the government prior to the release of Israel’s allegations.
Responses to Israel’s allegations
In a statement issued on 27th January, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner General, stated that “(i)t is shocking to see a suspension of funds to the Agency in reaction to allegations against a small group of staff, especially given the immediate action that UNRWA took by terminating their contracts and asking for a transparent independent investigation. The United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), the highest investigative authority in the UN system, has already been seized of this very serious matter.”2
Furthermore, Philippe Lazzarini said that it “would be immensely irresponsible to sanction [UNRWA} and an entire community it serves because of allegations of criminal acts against some individuals, especially at a time of war, displacement and political crises in the region.”3
Othe European donor nations such as France, Norway, and Spain did not follow the US and have continued their funding of UNRWA.
France, UNRWA’s fourth-biggest donor, increased its funding in 2023 to €60 million, as a result of the “disastrous humanitarian situation in Gaza” and its impact on civilians. In response to Israel’s allegations, France’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement indicating that it will wait for UN investigations to be completed before reviewing its funding commitments for 2024.
As well, Norway has also refused to cut aid to UNRWA. Its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide, urged other donor nations to continue their funding of UNRWA. He stated: “We should not collectively punish millions of people. We must distinguish between what individuals may have done and what UNRWA stands for.”4
Former chief spokesperson for UNRWA from 2007 to 2020, Chris Gunness, accused the donors who have frozen funding of “illegally weaponising” UNRWA. He said the freezing of UNRWA’s funding by these donors was a violation of ICJ’s recent ruling which required Israel to abide by the Genocide Convention and prevent genocide in Gaza.5
Former New Zealand PM, Helen Clark, weighed in on the issue and described the decision as “completely disproportionate” and “a very, very harsh, collective punishment of the Gazan people.”6
Helen Clark also noted that Israel’s allegations coincided with the release of the ICJ’s provisional measures. She suggested that this was no coincidence. Rather the allegations appeared to be designed to detract from the ICJ’s ruling which required Israel to permit the delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza, which can only be done using UNRWA’s logistical resources.
In addition, Helen Clark referred to the long history of Israel questioning UNRWA’s credibility and its goal of eliminating its presence in Gaza.
This is consistent with a classified report, written by Israel’s foreign ministry and leaked to Israeli media last month, outlining a scheme to remove UNRWA from Gaza in three stages. The first stage involved accusing UNRWA of actively co-operating with Hamas.7
As well, an earlier Israeli government plan made public in 2017 entailed the dismantling of UNRWA and the transfer of its responsibilities to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Funding to UNRWA must be restored immediately
Given the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and credible reports of hunger, malnutrition, dehydration and disease afflicting the civilian population, the Labor government’s decision to suspend funding to UNRWA could only have been made knowing that such a decision would make the humanitarian catastrophe even worse.
The Labor government’s decision would also have been made knowing the history of Israel’s hostility to UNRWA and its long term goal of dismantling the organisation.
As Helen Clark has said, the decision to suspend UNRWA’s funding is completely disproportionate and a very harsh, collective punishment of the Gazan people. As such, the decision is morally indefensible.
Rather than appeasing the US and the Zionist lobby in Australia, the Albanese Labor government must make a principled stand and immediately restore its funding commitments to UNRWA.
Notes
1. Philippe Lazzarini, ‘Serious allegations against UNRWA staff In the Gaza Strip’, UNRWA statement, 26th Jan 2024.
2. Philippe Lazzarini, ‘Over 2 million people in Gaza depend on UNRWA for survival as war and displacement continue’, UNRWA statement, 27th Jan 2024.
3. Ibid
4. Jessica Le Masurier, ‘As donors suspend critical funding to UNRWA, allegations against staff remain murky’, France 24, 5th Feb 2024.
5. Ibid
6. Daniel Hurst, ‘Former New Zealand PM urges Australia and west to reinstate UNRWA funding to avoid ‘catastrophic’ impact on Palestinians’, The Guardian, 29th Jan 2024.
7. David Isaac, ‘Israel wants UNRWA out of Gaza’, Jewish News Syndicate, 31st Dec 2023.