A Jewish group in the UK, Naamod, has demanded the government provide aid to the besieged Gaza Strip rather than sending arms to Israel.
The body blocked the entrance to Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) as a sign of protest against the government’s actions.
Naamod called on the government to reverse its decision to defund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which supports millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and regional countries.
“We’re here today because, even as the UN Security Council has come to the belated conclusion that a ceasefire can’t wait, the UK government drags its feet in drawing a line in the sand,” Naamod posted on X.
“In the face of an unimaginable catastrophe in Gaza, we demand that our government follow others and restore funding to UNRWA.”
“UNRWA is the only hope of reaching civilians desperately in need of life-saving aid. Every day the Foreign Office delays, it allows famine to continue,” the Jewish group noted.
In late January, the UK government announced that it was pausing funding to UNRWA due to Israel’s allegations against the agency staff being involved in the October 7 attacks.
Additionally, in a letter to Foreign Secretary David Cameron, over 50 MPs and members of the House of Lords urged the government to reinstate funding for the agency “without delay.”
The letter asked what evidence was provided to substantiate the basis for the decision to pause funding and why the UK’s allies, such as Finland and Germany, have resumed funding while the UK has not.
