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Hesse's European Minister Manfred Pentz (CDU): "It would make the most sense if the aid organization were to be dissolved completely."
Photo: Boris Roessler / dpa
After the serious allegations against employees of the UN Palestinian Relief Agency UNRWA, the new Hessian European Minister Manfred Pentz (CDU) has called for consequences from the EU. Until the allegations are clarified, the EU must freeze its payments to the aid organization, Pentz told the “Bild” newspaper. "It would make the most sense if the aid organization were to be dissolved completely and the work was subordinated to the other UN aid organizations," he added.
Twelve employees of the UN aid agency are suspected of being involved in the Hamas terrorist attack. As a result, countries such as the USA, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, Finland and Italy announced that they would suspend their aid payments. On Saturday, the federal government also announced that it would not approve any new funding for UNRWA in the Gaza Strip until the allegations had been clarified.
On Sunday, a statement from the French Foreign Ministry said that France was also suspending its payments to the UN aid agency. No new payment is planned for the first half of 2024 and will decide in due course, together with the United Nations and major donors, what measures should be taken to ensure that all transparency and security requirements are met, it said.
Japan also announced that it would temporarily stop its payments to the UN aid agency. UNRWA plays an important role in providing vital humanitarian assistance. Against this background, Japan is “extremely concerned” about the alleged involvement of employees.
Pentz: “Unforgivable”
If UNRWA employees were actually "actively involved in the brutal terrorist attack on Israel," that was "unforgivable," Pentz told the "Bild" newspaper. Then it is not enough to terminate a few contracts and continue in the same way. "It's not about stopping humanitarian aid, but about ensuring that it benefits those in need and not the terrorists," emphasized CDU Minister Pentz.
UN Secretary General António Guterres announced rapid consequences. "Any UN employee who is involved in acts of terrorism will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution," he said on Sunday morning, according to a United Nations statement. An investigation by the UN Office for Internal Oversight Services was launched immediately. Several employees were laid off.
aeh/AFP/dpa