More nations halt funds to U.N. agency over alleged staff involvement in Hamas attack

United Nations and Red Crescent workers prepare aid for distribution to Palestinians at a UNRWA warehouse in the Gaza Strip. The U.S. says 12 employees of UNRWA, which provides aid to Palestinians, were involved in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel. (Hassan Eslaiah/AP)

TEL AVIV, Israel — The main United Nations agency that provides aid to Palestinians in Gaza has fired multiple employees following allegations that they were involved in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that killed some 1,200 people in Israel. In response, several donor countries have joined the U.S. — the agency's biggest donor — in pausing funding.

"The Israeli Authorities have provided UNRWA with information about the alleged involvement of several UNRWA employees in the horrific attacks on Israel on 7 October," said Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the U.N. agency that provides aid to Palestinian refugees, in a statement on Friday.