In response to claims that some of UNRWA's employees participated in the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, six European nations withdrew their financing for the organization on Saturday.

Following Israel's accusations, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Finland, together with the United States, Australia, and Canada, ceased funding the humanitarian organization on Saturday. The organization is a vital source of help for the people living in Gaza.

"This extra collective punishment was not necessary for the Palestinians in Gaza," stated UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on X. "This stains all of us."

The organization announced on Friday that it has cut connections with certain staff and launched an investigation into them.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said UNRWA should be disbanded once the conflict in the enclave stops and accused it of having ties to Islamist militants in Gaza, encouraging more suspensions of donations.

"In Gaza's rebuilding, UNRWA must be replaced with agencies dedicated to genuine peace and development," he stated on X.

When questioned about Katz's comments, deputy UN spokesperson Farhan Haq stated: "We are not responding to rhetoric." We have emphasized time and again that UNRWA has a good overall record.

According to Lazzarini, the nine nations' action put their humanitarian efforts throughout the region—particularly in Gaza—in jeopardy.

"It's alarming to observe that the Agency's funding has been suspended due to accusations made against a small group of employees, particularly considering the prompt action taken by UNRWA to terminate their contracts and request an open and impartial inquiry," the statement reads.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry denounced the termination of employee contracts "based on information derived from the Zionist enemy" and criticized what it called an Israeli campaign against UNRWA.