A number of countries have announced that they will suspend funding to UN agencies working in the Gaza Strip after suspicions that they were involved in attacks on Israel by the Islamic organization Hamas.



The Japanese government has announced that it will temporarily suspend additional funding to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees). So far, more than 10 countries have contributed, mainly from the United States and Japan, which have contributed large sums of money, and the continuation of aid in the Gaza Strip is now in doubt.

The Israeli army has been intensifying its offensive by surrounding Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, which is said to be an important base for Hamas, and on the 28th, it sent airborne troops into the center of Khan Yunis, and attacked Hamas soldiers hiding inside buildings in the city. He announced that he was engaged in a fierce gun battle with the militants.



Health officials in the Gaza Strip say 26,422 people have been killed in Israeli attacks so far. In addition, Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis has complained that although many injured people have been brought in, it is unable to replenish supplies and that it will run out of fuel for power generation in the next few days.



Under these circumstances, UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) staff providing assistance in the Gaza Strip temporarily suspended funding after it was suspected that they were involved in the Hamas attack on Israel last October. A number of countries are making statements.



In addition to the United States and Germany, France and Japan also announced on the 28th that they would suspend additional contributions, and more than 10 countries, mainly those with large contributions, have announced suspension.



In response to these measures, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed on the 28th, ``Please at least guarantee the continuation of UNRWA's operations,'' and the Turkish government also issued a statement saying, ``The people who will suffer the most are the Palestinian people.'' The situation has put the continuation of aid in the Gaza Strip in jeopardy.

Japanese government “temporarily suspends additional funding to UNRWA”

On the night of the 28th, Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Kobayashi issued a statement saying, ``We are extremely concerned about the allegations, and have temporarily suspended additional funding while UNRWA conducts an investigation and considers countermeasures.'' "We have come to the conclusion that we have no choice but to suspend further funding to UNRWA," the statement said.



"We strongly urge that the investigation be conducted promptly and thoroughly, and that appropriate action be taken."



According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this year's supplementary budget passed in November last year includes approximately $35 million in support for UNRWA in light of the Israeli-Palestinian situation, but no remittance has been made yet. This means that contributions will be temporarily suspended.

Turkish Foreign Ministry: ``Palestinians will suffer the most''

Turkey's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the 28th saying, ``We are concerned about the decision of some countries to suspend funding.The Palestinian people will be the most harmed by the suspension of funding due to the accusations against several officials.'' He urged countries to resume contributions to UNRWA.



A year ago, Turkey contributed more than $25 million to UNRWA, the 10th largest contribution in the international community after Europe, the United States, and Japan.