Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to reconsider their funding of UNRWA, in the light of reports that (1) Ismail Haniyeh, and a bodyguard of Yahyah Sinwar, were both former UNRWA teachers; and (2) UNRWA staff have stolen food intended for Gazans.

We were appalled by the allegations that those involved in the 7 October attacks against Israel may have included United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) staff. The Secretary-General and the Commissioner General of UNRWA took these allegations seriously and acted decisively. We expect robust processes to continue to be followed. UNRWA must meet the highest standards of neutrality as laid out in Catherine Colonna's report, including staff vetting and acting swiftly when concerns arise. The UK has allocated £1 million to support UNRWA to implement the report's recommendations. The FCDO will continue its own annual assessment of UK funding to UNRWA, which plays a vital role in saving lives in Gaza. We separately note that UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini confirmed on 17 October that allegations a staff member died alongside former Hamas leader Yahyah Sinwar were unfounded. We have not received reports of UNRWA staff stealing food, nor are we aware of allegations regarding Ismail Haniyeh being reported to UNWRA.