Israeli PM backs US plan for UNRWA fund cuts

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated support for US plans to cut funds for UN refugees agency UNRWA.

"I fully agree with President Trump's strong criticism of UNRWA,” Netanyahu said at his weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday.

“UNRWA is an organisation that perpetuates the problem of the Palestinian refugees,” he said. “It also perpetuates the narrative of the so-called right of return with the aim of eliminating the State of Israel, and therefore UNRWA must pass away.”

UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said it had not been informed of any changes to US funding at this time and responded to Netanyahu by saying that only the UN General Assembly could alter their mandate.

"What perpetuates the refugee crisis is the failure of the parties to deal with the issue. This needs to be resolved by the parties to the conflict in the context of peace talks," he said.

Last week, US President Donald Trump threatened to cut aid to the Palestinians, including to UNRWA, in response to Palestinian fury over his decision last month to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Israeli media said Saturday that Netanyahu "supports a gradual reduction of funding to UNRWA."

According to UNRWA website, the US is the largest donor to the agency as it annually provides about $370 million out of a total of around $874 million of funds the agency receives.

UNRWA provides services to 5.3 million Palestinian refugees in the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

By the end of 2014, the number of Palestinian refugees hit 5.9 million, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), of which about 5.3 million are registered among UNRWA’s lists.

Observers say that UNRWA’s funding cuts may provoke tensions with Israel, as the body is one of the main channels for delivering aid to the Gaza Strip. Critics have warned that thousands of children could turn to Hamas schools, for example, if UNRWA schools are forced to close.