In a significant development, Germany has resumed cooperation with the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) after an independent review found that Israel had not provided evidence to support its claim that hundreds of UNRWA staff were members of terrorist groups. This announcement marks a reversal of the decision made by Germany and several other donor states to suspend funding to UNRWA in January following Israel’s allegations that UNRWA employees were involved in attacks that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.
The independent review, led by French diplomat Catherine Colonna, found some “neutrality-related issues” at UNRWA, including staff sharing biased political posts on social media and the use of a small number of textbooks with “problematic content” in some UNRWA schools. However, the review did not find any evidence to support Israel’s claim that UNRWA employs more than 400 “terrorists.” This finding has led to Germany and other donor states resuming their funding to UNRWA, recognizing the vital role it plays in providing aid to the people in Gaza.
Germany, Europe’s largest economy, is a major donor to UNRWA. In a joint statement, the German foreign and development ministries said Germany would “continue its cooperation” with the agency and “coordinate closely with its closest international partners to disburse further funds.” The statement emphasized Germany’s support for UNRWA’s role in providing essential services to the people of Gaza, particularly in light of the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
The United States, however, has yet to restore funding to UNRWA. The White House has stated that it would need to see “real progress” before doing so. Another UN probe is also looking into Israel’s allegations against UNRWA.
The issue of UNRWA’s textbooks has been raised for years by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education, which has alleged that UNRWA’s textbooks are systematically inciteful against Israel and antisemitic. Israel has said the report “ignores the severity of the problem,” while UNRWA has welcomed the findings.
Germany has called for the report’s recommendations to be implemented without delay, underscoring the importance of addressing the concerns raised while ensuring that UNRWA can continue to provide vital aid to the people in Gaza.
