Germany to resume cooperation with Palestinian UNRWA agency

Displaced Palestinians, who fled their homes due to Israeli strikes, wash clothes as they shelter in a UNRWA-affiliated school, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip April 23, 2024. (Reuters)
Short Url

BERLIN: The German government plans to resume cooperation with the UN agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) in Gaza, the foreign and development ministries said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
The decision follows a review by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna into UNRWA’s ability to ensure neutrality and respond to any breaches after Israel’s allegations that 12 of its staff took part in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks.

A separate UN probe is investigating the Israeli claims.
The German ministries urged UNRWA to swiftly implement the report’s recommendations, including strengthening its internal audit function and improving external oversight of project management.
“In support of these reforms, the German government will soon continue its cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza, as Australia, Canada, Sweden and Japan, among others, have already done,” said the ministries in the statement.