Canada will resume funding to UNRWA, the UN’s “Palestinian refugee” agency, International Aid Minister Ahmed Hussen announced on Friday, according to Reuters.
"Canada will be lifting its temporary pause on funding to (UNRWA)," Hussen said in a statement, adding, "UNRWA plays a vital role in Gaza."
Hussen’s statement did not specify when Canada would resume funding to UNRWA.
A total of 16 countries, including the US and Canada, in January paused payments to UNRWA soon after Israel said that 12 UNRWA staff had taken part in Hamas’ October 7 attack.
However, a senior government source said this week that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government is considering unfreezing payments to UNRWA.
Trudeau refused to say on Thursday if Canada intends to restore funding to UNRWA.
“We're not making any announcements today. But we will continue to make sure Canada does the right thing in this situation and puts the protection of civilian life at the forefront of everything we do,” he told reporters.
Trudeau said that Ottawa was waiting for the results of an internal United Nations probe into the Israeli allegations.
Hussen said on Friday that Canada had reviewed the interim report of the UN investigation and looked forward to the final version.
Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government cut off Canadian funding for UNWRA in 2010 over its ties to Hamas, but Trudeau’s government resumed funding to the agency in 2016.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)