Canada Reinstates Funding for UN Agency With Staff Allegedly Linked to Hamas Massacre

International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen speaks at an event in Toronto on Dec. 1, 2023. The Canadian Press/Christopher Katsarov

Ottawa says it will reinstate funding for the UN agency providing support to Palestinians after it was suspended over allegations some of its personnel took part in the Hamas October massacre.

Global Affairs Canada made the announcement on the afternoon of March 8, citing the “catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza that is worsening by the hour.”

The department notes Canada was the first G7 country to send assistance to Gaza after Oct. 7, the date Hamas commandos stormed Israel, killing and kidnapping hundreds of its citizens.

Israel has since been conducting military operations inside the Gaza Strip to eliminate Hamas, a group proscribed as a terrorist entity in Canada.

The Israeli government said in January its intelligence indicates that 12 staff members of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) were involved in the Oct. 7 attack.

UNRWA responded by terminating the contracts of the workers and opened an investigation.

According to the Israeli document documenting the allegations seen by the Associated Press, of the 12 UNRWA workers, nine were teachers and one a social worker, and seven are accused of crossing into Israel. It is also alleged that at least 190 UNRWA workers are operatives of Hamas or Islamic Jihad.

Following these revelations, a number of countries including the United States and Canada announced they were suspending funding to UNRWA.

International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen announced a temporary pause in funding on Jan. 26 while UNRWA “undertakes a thorough investigation into these allegations.”

The funding was reinstated before the completion of the investigation.

Mr. Hussen said on March 8 that the funding is being reinstated “in recognition of the robust investigative process underway” and the situation in Gaza.

“Canada will continue to take the allegations against some of UNRWA’s staff extremely seriously and we will remain closely engaged with UNRWA and the UN to pursue accountability and reforms,” said the minister.

While the funding was suspended, Global Affairs Canada notes that no scheduled payments to UNRWA were missed during the pause.

“By providing certainty that Canada’s planned contribution will proceed, this will help prevent the imminent collapse of this essential organization,” says the department. UNRWA is the central organization providing assistance to Palestinians in Gaza and elsewhere in the area.

Split Reactions

The war Israel is waging against Hamas, with its humanitarian impacts on Palestinians, has divided Canadians and led to multiple violent acts, mostly against the Jewish community.

Reactions to the Liberal government’s decision to reinstate funding were accordingly swift and split.

Jewish advocacy group B'nai Brith Canada said funding should not have been reinstated before the conclusion of the investigation.

“The decision to continue supporting such a problematic and irresponsible entity, before the independent investigation into its culpability in facilitating acts of terror is even complete, actively undermines the international efforts to ensure a sustainable and peaceful future for both Israelis and Palestinians,” Director of Research and Advocacy Richard Robertson told The Epoch Times.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs reacted similarly, adding it plans to sue the government over the decision.

The National Council of Canadian Muslims welcomed the move, saying it will save lives.

“While funding should not have been paused in the first place, the government made the right decision today by renewing and increasing funding,” it said in a statement. “There are no other agencies that can replicate UNRWA’s central role in the humanitarian response in Gaza.”

Global Affairs Canada has not announced more funding for UNRWA, but said it would allocate “substantial funding” to the World Food Programme. The Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation will also receive $100,000 to purchase supplies for Gazans, some of which will be distributed via airdrops.

To help with the airdrops, the Canadian Armed Forces are also providing around 300 cargo parachutes to the Royal Jordanian Air Force to facilitate the aid delivery.

Other Connections

Allegations surrounding direct involvement by UNRWA staff in the Hamas attack have not been the only related issues faced by the agency.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Gaza Strip have reported finding a tunnel network of hundreds of meters in February that it says passes beneath UNRWA’s headquarters in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

The IDF says the underground rooms were used as a Hamas intelligence command centre, where most of the combat was commanded.

UNRWA says it had been warned about it by Israel on Oct. 12 and had subsequently vacated its headquarters.

The Canadian government has also known for years of issues within UNRWA. In 2021, it acknowledged that UNRWA was producing anti-Israel educational materials, which goes against UN guidelines.

Global Affairs Canada previously told The Epoch Times that UNRWA had taken corrective action, something that B'nai Brith has disputed in a report released in September.

Ottawa announced in June 2023 it would deliver $100 million to UNRWA over the next four years, after providing $90 million from 2019 to 2023.

Reuters contributed to this report.