EU humanitarian chief claims no evidence from Israel to back UNRWA accusations

The European Union’s top humanitarian aid official claims he has seen no evidence from Israel to back its accusations against staff from the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), which should continue playing a “critical” role in Gaza.

It’s unclear what he’s talking about, given that the evidence Israel provided regarding the one dozen employees who participated in the October 7 onslaught was enough to convince UNRWA to immediately fire those staffer.

The allegations prompted UNRWA’s biggest donor, the United States, and some others to pause funding, putting the agency’s future in doubt.

The head of UNRWA earlier this month expressed cautious optimism that some donors would soon return, though US officials said Washington’s pause in funding might become permanent due to opposition in Congress.

The EU’s executive Commission is a leading UNRWA donor after the US. It said on March 1 it would pay 50 million euros ($54.4 million) to the agency, but hold back 32 million euros ($34.8 million) while it deals with the Israeli allegations.

Janez Lenarcic, the head of humanitarian aid and crisis management at the European Commission, says that neither he nor – according to his knowledge – anybody else at the EU executive, or any other UNRWA donor, had been presented with evidence by Israel.

“Even if those allegations, at the end of the day, prove to be true, that doesn’t mean that UNRWA is the perpetrator,” he tells journalists.

In that case, Lenarcic says individual accountability would be in order rather than summary justice – and the “irreplaceable” agency would be asked to clean up and carry on.

“UNRWA has reacted properly, immediately, effectively. It took several measures. There is an investigation. There is a review. We are satisfied so far with all this,” says Lenarcic.

“UNRWA has of course a critical role to play here because it has unmatched infrastructure, warehouses, shelters, logistical capacities.”