Austria is suspending payments to the United Nations' Palestinian aid agency, UNRWA, pending a full investigation into accusations that its employees were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the Austrian foreign ministry said on Monday.
Alexander Schallenberg, the Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria © Mena Today
Austria is suspending payments to the United Nations' Palestinian aid agency, UNRWA, pending a full investigation into accusations that its employees were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the Austrian foreign ministry said on Monday.
"We call on UNRWA and the United Nations to conduct a comprehensive, swift and complete investigation into the allegations," the ministry said in a statement.
Austria joins Britain, Germany, the United States, Australia and Canada, among others, in pausing funding to the aid agency, a critical source of support for people in Gaza.
US embassies in Jerusalem, Baghdad and Amman issued security alerts Saturday urging American citizens to exercise "heightened vigilance," as tensions flare between Iran and the United States. Americans were also told to "consider departing, or be prepared to depart should there be escalation."
President Donald Trump said Friday that Israel was "very happy" with an agreement reached by his so-called Board of Peace for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups in Gaza.
U.S. President Donald Trump said talks in Cairo between mediators and Hamas leaders on Thursday have led to a phased disarmament agreement in Gaza, but a Hamas official described the deal as a draft and U.S. officials said Israel was skeptical the militant Palestinian group would surrender its weapons.
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