Ireland pledges €20m for UNWRA as Tánaiste urges Israel to drop its ban

A file photo from May 14, 2024, of the aftermath of an Israeli strike on a school in Nuseirat, Gaza, run by UNRWA, the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees. Picture: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP

Ireland has pledged €20m to support the work of UNRWA, the UN Relief and Works Agency, in Gaza, the West Bank, and with Palestinian refugees across the Middle East.

Announcing the funding on Friday, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris said there is no replacement for the work UNRWA carries out and it is vital that it is supported.

"I am gravely concerned about Israeli legislation on UNRWA which entered into force on January 30," said Mr Harris.

I urge Israel to reconsider these measures and encourage other governments to support UNRWA with funding at this most critical time so that it can deliver for the millions of Palestinian refugees in need.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is described as catastrophic, with at least 47,540 people killed and more than 111,000 injured, the majority of whom were women and children.

The current ceasefire and hostage release deal has been welcomed by Ireland and Mr Harris said it offers a moment of hope for both Palestinians and Israelis.

In the first days of the ceasefire, UNRWA delivers over 60% of the supplies that entered Gaza. Mr Harris said: 

It is the only organisation with the scale to deliver and support the restoration of health, social services, and education for more than 300,000 children in Gaza.

The €20m funding is in addition to the €38m provided over 2023 and 2024.

The announcement comes one week after Knesset Bills came into effect which prohibits UNRWA from working within Israel's borders and makes it illegal for the agency to have any form of contact with Israeli officials.

UNRWA commissioner general Philippe Lazzarini previously warned that the move would only worsen the already catastrophic living conditions of millions of Palestinians.

"The Agency's mere presence brings stability amid profound uncertainty," said Mr Lazzarini.

"Undermining UNRWA will sabotage Gaza's recovery and any prospects for peace."

The bills have been emphatically supported by US president Donald Trump who earlier this week was widely criticised for his proposal to displace the population of Gaza while the US turns the area into a "Riviera of the Middle East".

His comments were met with outrage from across the globe including the UN, Germany, China, and the UK. 

However, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed it as "a remarkable idea".