As Palestinians in Gaza Face Mass Famine, US & Allies Cut Funding to UN Aid Agency

The move is an apparent response to the UN-aligned International Court of Justice’s verdict Friday ordering Israel to prevent genocide in the besieged Gaza Strip.

“I miss everything in Beit Lahia, the strawberries, spinach, and the traditional ‘Hamis’ dish,” said one young Palestinian man.

“The relaxation on the couch, sitting together with the kids and wife, and eating at the table,” said another, also asked what he missed most after Israel’s months-long operation in Gaza turned life in the crowded territory upside down.

“My life, and food and drinks,” said a young boy, perhaps 5 or 6 years old. Like the others, his eyes are sunken and his face is gaunt.

International organizations have warned for months that Gaza is on the brink of mass starvation amidst Israeli strikes on infrastructure and a tightly-enforced blockade. Now the United States and six allies are threatening one of Palestinians’ last lifelines after announcing their plan to pause funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees.

The US government, which is the agency’s largest donor, made the announcement Friday and was quickly joined in its decision by Canada. By Saturday the UK, Finland, Australia, Italy, and the Netherlands had followed suit.

The decision comes after the UN refugee agency fired 12 employees Friday that Israel claimed had taken part in Hamas’ October 7 attack in the country. Earlier in the day the UN-aligned International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a devastating decision urging Israel to take steps to prevent genocide in the Gaza Strip and punish government officials who sanctioned mass killings, without directly accusing Israel of crimes against humanity.

Israel drew attention to their claims against the UNRWA, one of the largest employers in the Gaza Strip, earlier this week, suggesting they anticipated the ICJ to rule against the country in South Africa’s widely-publicized genocide case. The Israeli government in general and Benjamin Netanyahu in particular have long sought to discredit the United Nations, where Arab countries have often led successful General Assembly votes criticizing Israel.

Meanwhile the United States has used its permanent seat on the UN Security Council to veto any binding decision against its Middle Eastern ally.

Israeli defense officials first presented their claims against the UNRWA in recent days, saying intelligence analysis had only confirmed the accusations in the last two weeks. A spokesperson for Israel’s military also claimed the country possesses “evidence pointing to the use of UNRWA facilities for terrorist purposes.”

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said the accusations were being investigated in a statement issued Friday that claimed any employee found to be involved in the October 7 attack would be “held accountable, including through criminal prosecution.”

Israel has yet to publicly share its alleged evidence. Israeli intelligence services have been accused of fabricating claims in the past, such as when the country insisted last year that the armed group Hamas was using the al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza as a command center. Investigations since then have failed to support the Israeli claims.

An anonymous diplomat told US media Friday the UNRWA has sufficient resources to continue to function in the short term but warned the lack of funding could eventually force it to cease operations.

More than 26,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its military campaign there last year according to the latest data from local officials. An additional 64,487 have been wounded. Women and children make up a reported 70% of the casualties in the territory.

An Israeli soldier generated outrage earlier this week with a TikTok video flaunting food rations as Palestinians in Gaza go hungry. 80% of the world’s population who are currently experiencing “catastrophic” or “famine” levels of hunger are located in Gaza, according to a recent report.

The United States’ abandonment of the UNRWA raises questions about whether China or other countries will fill the void in an increasingly multipolar world where Western countries rapidly lose influence and authority. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed last year the outbreak of violence in Gaza is an example of the “failure” of US administrations to solve the long running Palestine-Israel conflict.

“I think that many will agree with me that this is a clear example of the failure of the policy of the United States in the Middle East, which tried to monopolize the settlement, but, unfortunately, was not concerned with finding compromises acceptable to both sides,” said Putin in a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Al Sudani. US forces in the Middle East have come under increasing attack in recent months amidst rejection of the country’s strong support for Israel.