The Canadian government has officially confirmed it will restore funding to UNRWA – the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East – amid investigations into the agency following the Israeli accusations.

Canada has decided to resume payments to UNRWA due to the “catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza,” Canadian Development Minister Ahmed Hussein said in a statement yesterday.

Ottawa acknowledged UNRWA’s efforts to respond to allegations against some of its staff and implement measures to improve oversight and accountability. Canada will continue to work closely with this agency and the United Nations to achieve reform.

UNRWA has faced a firestorm after Israel said 12 of its workers were involved in the October 7 attack by Hamas’ military arm from the Gaza Strip in southern Israel, which killed more than 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to with an AFP tally based on official Israeli data.

The UN immediately dismissed the accused officials and began an internal investigation. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commissioned an independent panel to assess UNRWA and its “neutrality”.

But 16 countries – including Canada – have suspended funding for the service, which already faces a chronic underfunding problem. And this despite the fact that the accusations remain “unconfirmed”, underlined Philip Lazzarini, who had already accused Israel of having “not provided any evidence” for the alleged involvement of its employees in the attack. On Monday Lazzarini said that dismantling UNRWA would involve the sacrifice of “a whole generation of children” and would “sow the seeds” of future wars.