The European Union’s top humanitarian and crisis management official said today that he has seen no evidence from Israel to support its claim that UNRWA staff were involved in the attack launched by Hamas on Israeli soil on October 7.

UNRWA, the relief agency of the UN for the Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the wider region, is in crisis after Israel accused about a dozen of its employees of involvement in the attack. Because of these allegations, the agency’s biggest donor, the US, as well as a number of other countries, cut off funding, leaving UNRWA’s future in doubt.

Earlier this month the chief of UNRWA appeared cautiously optimistic that some donors would return today, although US officials said the halt in US funding could be permanent.

The European Commission is also among UNRWA’s top donors and on March 1 announced it would pay €50 million to the agency, but would look into Israeli claims before giving another €32 million.

Janez Lenarcic, the head of humanitarian aid and crisis management at the European Commission, said that neither he nor – to his knowledge – anyone else in the commission or any other donor had seen evidence of what Israel claims. “Even if these allegations are ultimately proven to be true, this does not mean that UNRWA is the perpetrator“, he told reporters.

In such a case, Lenarcic noted, the principle of individual responsibility and not summary justice should be applied and the “irreplaceable” UN agency would be asked to clean up and continue its work. “UNRWA reacted correctly, immediately, effectively. He took a lot of steps. An investigation is underway. We are satisfied so far with all this”, he emphasized. “UNRWA of course has a critical role here because it has infrastructure, warehouses, shelters, logistical capability,” he explained.