LFI backs restoration of funding to Palestinian relief agency with strict controls

The Labour Friends of Israel group have backed demands for the UK to restore funding to the UN’s Palestinian relief agency UNRWA ahead of an expected move by the Foreign Secretary to confirm the decision.

In a newly sent briefing to Labour MPs LFI stress that as a result of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, they are supportive of a return to funding of the aid agency, although they stress this should be tied to “more stringent vetting of staff, a transparent employee register and an overhaul of educational materials.”

The previous Conservative government had come under pressure to restore UK funding to UNRWA, after it was frozen after Israel produced evidence that up to a dozen Unrwa staff were involved in the Oct 7 massacre.

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An internal UN investigation was undertaken, and Israel also urged to produce further evidence of illegal activity by employees at the agency.

A report by the former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna into UNRWA’s operation made similar recommendations.

In parliament in May, Andrew Mitchell, from deputy foreign minister,told MPs:”The House, I think, should expect that we will be restoring funding to make sure that humanitarian support is available.”

The LFI  briefing backs calls for  UNRWA to have a transitory role with functions eventually transferred to a revitalised Palestinian Authority.

Labour foreign secretary David Lammy could signal the move to restore funding in the coming weeks, after the Kings Speech debate in the Commons is completed. 

Lammy met Benjamin Netanyahu Palestinian leaders in Israel and the West Bank, where he called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and release of hostages held by Hamas.

Reports from Israel that he reassured officials there that the UK government would restain the previous government’s legal challenge to the right of the ICC prosecutor to seek an arrest warrant against the Israeli PM have not been confirmed.

In April Richard Pater of the Jerusalem-based Bicom think tank, said:“Because of the necessity of humanitarian aid in Gaza, UNRWA is needed as there may be no immediate replacement.

“As faulty and problematic as UNRWA is, you can’t have a vacuum in Gaza, so until an adequate body is there to replace them, renewing aid might be the calculation of a British government.”

The UK was one of 18 countries that in January halted financing for the UN Relief and Works Agency after Israel alleged 12 of its 30,000 staff had taken part in the Hamas-led attacks on October 7.

Britain had made all its planned contributions of £35 million ($43.1 million) to UNRWA for the last financial year up until April and the government said it would resume funding only after reforms proposed by a UN inquiry have been made.

Since then, the EU and a host of other countries, including Germany, have restored funding.