Urgent Reassessment Needed: UK Funding for UNRWA and the Threat of Terrorism
The recent revelations about potential involvement of UNRWA staff in the October 7 attack on Israel are deeply alarming. This news comes on the heels of Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office David Lammy’s announcement the UK would restore funding to UNRWA—a move that, by all indications, places the UK in direct contravention of its own laws designed to comb
Our initial objections were not to the provision of humanitarian aid to Palestinians but to the possibility that our funds could inadvertently support organisations involved in terrorism. The reports now emerging, suggesting that UNRWA staff might have been complicit in a terrorist attack, underscore the urgency of our concerns.
It is imperative that the UK government re-evaluates its decision to fund UNRWA. We call for an immediate suspension of all financial support to this body and advocate for a new framework to ensure aid is delivered to Palestinians without any risk of benefiting groups like Hamas—an organisation clearly designated as a terrorist entity under UK law.
The stakes are high. The protection of our national interests and the integrity of our counterterrorism policies demand nothing less than a swift and decisive response.