Spain will not suspend UNRWA funding, FM says

Spain confirmed on Monday that it will not suspend its funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. Several nations, including Austria, Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan and the UK, followed the lead of the US in suspending funding to the agency.

The suspension came in response to allegations made by Israel that several UNRWA workers were involved in the Hamas attack on Oct. 7.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said his country would maintain its relations with UNRWA and continue its funding “without any modification.”

He highlighted that the employees accused of participating in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood number no more than 12 out of 30,000.

Meanwhile, he confirmed to Spain’s Foreign Affairs Committee of the Congress of Deputies that the country was “closely following up on” the internal investigation launched by the UN.

Albares emphasized that UNRWA is an “indispensable” agency in mitigating the devastating humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

He expressed his deep sadness at the killing of more than 26,000 people, while pointing to the scale of famine in Gaza.

Albares stated that Spain has tripled its humanitarian aid to Palestine, totaling nearly $54 million since the start of Israel’s escalation of the war on Gaza.

Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, said the decision to pause funding “overtly defies” the International Court of Justice’s order to provide effective aid in Gaza and could be a violation of the international genocide convention.