An overview of the response to recent allegations made against staff of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). It notes that Australia is putting in place new funding arrangements with more stringent staff neutrality conditions, as well as looking to diversify Australia’s aid funding.

Commencing operations on 1 May 1950, the role of the UNRWA is to provide essential services for the wellbeing, human development, and protection of Palestinian refugees across five fields of operation (Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, and the West Bank including East Jerusalem).The Australian Government is a long-standing supporter of UNRWA, contributing every year since 1951, with a funding contribution of $20 million in 2025-26. 

In January 2024, Israel alleged that UNRWA staff had been involved in the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel. The final report by an independent panel examining UNRWA’s approach to ensuring neutrality in its operations found room for improvement and made 50 recommendations, but found no evidence of the alleged widespread wrongdoing. 

This paper outlines the current situation and Australia's response to it, as well as broader global developments.