British-Palestinian citizen files lawsuit against UK government for withdrawing funding from UNWRA
The British government is under legal scrutiny as a British citizen challenges its decision to cut funding for the UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA. This comes at a time when the aid organization is confronted with baseless accusations from Israel, claiming that its staff were linked to the recent Hamas attack on October 7th.
London-headquartered law firm Bindmans LLP has recently taken action on behalf of a British-Palestinian client who is deeply worried about the well-being of his family, who are refugees in Gaza. The firm sent a letter to Foreign Secretary David Cameron addressing these concerns. In a related development, on January 27, the government led by Rishi Sunak, in conjunction with the US and the European Union, made the decision to halt funding to the agency. This move came in the wake of Israel’s allegations that 12 UNRWA staff members were involved in the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7.
Israel has not yet presented any evidence to back up its allegations against the staff members, who were promptly dismissed by UNRWA. Doubts have been raised by EU officials, aid agencies, and US intelligence services regarding Israel’s claims, with some labeling it as a smear campaign aimed at discrediting the agency.
The legal challenge is seeking the restoration of funding to UNRWA and argues that the government’s decision was taken without due consideration of evidence, international obligations or based on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development office policies.
If the government does not announce the restoration of funding to UNRWA by 2 April, a judicial review will be launched.
Alice Hardy, lawyer and Bindmans partner told The New Arab that their client decided to take legal action because his family, like the majority of those in Gaza, is in “a desperate situation” and dependent on aid provided by UNRWA.
“We’ve sent a pre-action letter on his behalf setting out why the decision to withdraw funding to UNRWA, the largest provider of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, appears to be unlawful, [and] asks the Government to reinstate funding as soon as possible,” Hardy said.
“We hope that the Foreign Secretary will treat it with the seriousness it deserves”.
The individual’s parents are UNRWA-registered refugees in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, a neighbourhood which has been repeatedly bombed by Israel, including one attack in November which killed nearly 200 people and injured over 770.
Five and a half months of war alongside Israel’s tight control over aid supplies have left the 2.3 million population on the brink of famine. Gaza’s health ministry has said that at least 30 people, including children and the elderly, have died from dehydration and malnutrition in recent weeks.
In February, UNRWA director Philippe Lazzarini said that Israel was out to destroy the organisation, which is the main agency operating in Gaza.
“Right now we are dealing with an expanded, concerted campaign by Israel aimed at destroying UNRWA,” he told the Swiss newspaper group Tamedia.
“It is a long-term political goal because it is believed that if the aid agency is abolished, the status of the Palestinian refugees will be resolved once and for all – and with it, the right of return. There is a much larger political goal behind this,” Lazzarini said.
Several donors, including the European Union, Australia, Canada and most recently Japan, have reinstated their funding programs after saying they were satisfied with the UN’s interim report on the allegations.
The UK has yet to follow suit, despite urgent calls from UNRWA, who has warned that the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon are at risk if funds dry up.
Earlier this month, Cameron told the UK’s House of Lords that UNRWA is the only body capable of delivering aid in Gaza, but did not give an explanation as to the funding suspension.
Hardy said that the suspension contradicts the government’s own international development policies.
“The UK government’s strategy for international development sets out four priorities, including to: ‘provide life-saving humanitarian assistance and work to prevent the worst forms of human suffering’.
“Given the catastrophic situation in Gaza, including an impending, man-made famine, the ongoing decision to cease funding to UNRWA is not only morally wrong but flies in the face of that strategy”.
The agency is facing added pressure after the US Congress passed a bill last week which will block millions of dollars of funding to UNRWA until March 2025.
Following the suspension, the UK government has said it is waiting on two UN inquiry assessments. An interim report led by a former French foreign minister was presented to the UN Secretary General on 20 March, and a full report will be made public in mid-April.
