- by MAJDAL SHAMS
- 07 28, 2024
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THE UNITED NATIONSUNRWAUNRWA Relief and Works Agency () is almost as old as the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians. And it has often found itself at its heart. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought safety in its schools and compounds during the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. And more than 150 of the agency’s staff are among the 26,000 people who have been killed.The agency is now in crisis. On Friday January 26th Israel said it had evidence that at least a dozen of the organisation’s 13,000 staff members based in Gaza were involved in Hamas’s assault on Israel on October 7th. In response more than ten governments, including those of America and Germany—its two largest funders—have announced that they are freezing donations. It is unclear exactly how much cash is being withheld and how long the freeze will last. But says that without the money it will be forced to cease operations at the end of February.