Australia is being urged to immediately reinstate aid for Palestinian refugees and commit to a national debate on a two-state solution with Israel.
The government needs to “reject propaganda attacks” against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), the nation’s peak foreign aid body says.
Israel had a clear motive in wanting to disband the organisation, Australian Council For International Development CEO Marc Purcell said, after foreign affairs officials revealed accusations against UNRWA were often exaggerated.
“This is the UN agency that is currently on the ground providing lifesaving support in Gaza, so this reality is important and disturbing,” he said.
“We urge greater skepticism by Australian parliamentarians and the media in the face of what is now a well-established pattern of Israeli government making shrill and spurious accusations.”
Australia and other international partners froze aid to UNRWA in January following allegations some staff participated in Hamas’ October 7 attack against Israel.
The government is waiting on an investigation by the UN into the matter but has admitted it’s also waiting for Israel to provide evidence about the allegations.
Australia has been advised two people were fired and further investigations by the UN were taking place into about 10 employees, the head of the foreign affairs department’s Middle East division said.
Allegations made by groups who wanted UNRWA disbanded contained some truths but “a significant amount of exaggeration”, Marc Innes-Brown told a parliamentary hearing on Thursday.
He pointed to one report claiming 3000 agency teachers were part of a Telegram channel celebrating the October 7 attacks.
The allegation wasn’t substantiated, with the channel not created by UNRWA, instead containing people who wanted to work for the organisation, and the allegations only relating to about 30 people, not 3000, he said.
A picture circulated with the report alleging those 3000 people were dancing in the streets celebrating the attack was investigated and found to be a protest outside the relief agency’s headquarters related to compensation for the 2014 conflict, Mr Innes-Brown added.
There is mounting international pressure on Israel to halt a ground invasion into the heavily populated southern Gaza city of Rafah where well over a million people are sheltering, often at the behest of Israeli forces.
The prime ministers of Australia, New Zealand and Canada issued a joint statement on Thursday saying the protection of civilian lives was paramount and they “cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hamas”.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese raised concerns there was nowhere for the civilians to go safely.
“The consequences of an invasion are dire,” he said on Friday.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong also warned Tel Aviv against the military invasion, saying the international community had not seen a credible plan to protect and support civilians.
Tel Aviv is determined to flush out Hamas fighters and rescue hostages in the area, Israel’s prime minister said.
The Zionist Federation of Australia branded it unreasonable for Israel not to proceed with attacking Hamas and arrangements were in place to minimise civilian casualties.
Senator Wong also reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to a two-state solution, saying it was unlikely there would be a lasting peace until the issue of Palestinian statehood was reconciled.
The status quo was failing and Australia was engaged in discussions about how recognition could contribute to progress and peace, she said.
Australia doesn’t recognise Palestine as a state but has committed to.
Australia’s Palestinian envoy has encouraged the government to move on recognition.
The current path to a two-state solution wasn’t working after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on his opposition to Palestinian statehood, Izzat Abdulhadi said.
“I’m sure there is interest in the leadership here,” he told AAP about moving on recognition.
A group of more than two dozen ambassadors from Islamic nations continued to try and meet with MPs and government officials after the prime minister rejected a meeting request earlier this month, he said.
The prime minister’s office has been contacted for comment.
This post was originally published on Michael West.
