Germany to Resume Cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza

The German ministries of foreign affairs and development announced in a joint statement today, Wednesday, that the government intends to resume cooperation with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Gaza. This decision follows an investigation led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna regarding whether some agency employees were involved in the attack carried out by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in October. The review on UNRWA's neutrality concluded on Monday that Israel has not yet provided evidence supporting its accusations against hundreds of UNRWA employees for belonging to terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip. The ministries urged UNRWA to quickly implement the recommendations from the review, including enhancing internal controls and increasing external oversight on project management. The statement from the ministries said, "In support of these reforms, the German government will soon resume its cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza, as have Australia, Canada, Sweden, Japan, and other countries."