MP Sobel claims it is ‘scandalous’ the UK has not resumed funding to UNRWA

The UK government must resume its funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), and it is “scandalous” that the organisation is still suspended from distributing aid in Gaza, the MP Alex Sobel has claimed.

The Labour MP for Leeds North West, whose parents moved to the UK from Israel in 1971, described what is happening in Gaza as “a starvation-level event” and added the British public “do not want to be responsible for starvation in Gaza”.

He said:”It is scandalous that the UK Government’s position is still for a suspension of funds, despite the interim report and without evidence of wrongdoing being provided by Israel in the first place. ”

Responding foreign office minister Andrew Mitchell told the Commons:” We are awaiting the report of the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and the interim report from Catherine Colonna, the former French Foreign Minister. 

“The view we take is that when we have seen those, we very much hope we will have the reassurance to recommence funding. That is also the position of the US, Germany, Australia, Italy, Finland, the Netherlands and Switzerland.”

Speaking during Tuesday’s foreign office questions debate on the humanitarian situation, Sobel noted that “Canada reviewed the interim report of the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and has resumed funding.

“Sweden has received bilateral assurances on the same actions that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is supposedly looking for from UNRWA and has resumed funding.”

Sobel said the current airdrops from the United States, with help from this country “do not direct aid like land-based aid.”

He added:” The only organisation big enough to fully distribute aid in order to avoid starvation is UNRWA.”

Former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna was in Israel this week to seek evidence from the Israeli government on its claims that at least 12 Unrwa staff had been involved in the 7 October attack on Israel that killed 1,200 Israelis.

The claims led many western countries to suspend funding.

Colonna is due to present her interim report in late March and a final report a month later.

Israel has promised to share with her intelligence on Hamas tunnels in and around Unrwa facilities, terrorist attacks by Unrwa employees, and the use of Unrwa sites to launch rockets at Israel.