We welcome the announcement of the restoration of UK funding to UNRWA. The services it provides not just in Gaza but to Palestinian refugees throughout the region are crucial.
The UK should never have withdrawn funding in the first place. The allegations made by Israel have been shown to be false but should not have been treated as credible in the first place given Israel’s track record of confecting falsehoods to undermine respect for Palestinian rights and protect it from accountability for its ongoing violation of those rights.
In particular, Israel has long sought to undermine UNRWA as the primary international body mandated to preserve the rights of Palestinian refugees.
The UK Government should make clear that it condemns such behaviour on the part of Israel and commit to ensuring that UNRWA can continue to fulfil its mandate. It also now needs to make clear that it will end arms sales and support all actions at the ICC and ICJ to hold Israel to account.
Palestine Solidarity Campaign