South Asian News Network

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has announced the formation of an independent commission to assess the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the United Nations.
The humanitarian group has drawn criticism following Israeli charges that twelve of its staffers were part in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
More than a dozen countries, including the United States, Germany, Britain, and Sweden, have blocked funding for the organization. The United Nations stated that former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna will lead the independent panel in collaboration with three European research institutes. The investigation’s declared purpose will be to determine whether the agency is taking the required efforts to respond to the complaints while maintaining impartiality. According to Al Jazeera, Guterres stated that the panel’s assessment will contain recommendations for possible reforms and strengthening of the agency’s system, with an interim report due by the end of March and a full report coming at the end of April. This assessment is not related to the United Nations’ internal investigation. It was established last month following initial claims against 12 UNRWA employees.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas, which began after the initial attack on October 7, claimed the lives of around 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 250 others.