The International Center for Justice for Palestinians (ICGB) announced its intention to file a lawsuit against the British Foreign Office, due to London’s decision to suspend funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

The center - which is based in Britain - explained in a statement that the complaint will be submitted by the law firm Bindmans LLP on behalf of a British citizen of Palestinian origin seeking to protect his family registered with UNRWA.

The statement indicated that the International Center for Justice would provide evidence and financial support for the lawsuit, and that a letter had been submitted to the British Foreign Office demanding the possibility of raising the decision to suspend aid to UNRWA to court.

He added that the plaintiff asked the government to withdraw the decision and resume funding for UNRWA, and to give it until the second of next April to make that decision, otherwise a “judicial review” will begin.

Decision 'without evidence'

The statement explained that the British government - which suspended its funding to the UN agency on January 27 - took this decision without taking into account evidence, responsibilities and international obligations.

He also pointed out that the family of the British citizen of Palestinian origin resides in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, and that they depend entirely on UNRWA aid, and now face great challenges in securing their basic needs.

The statement stated that the complaint accuses Israel of potentially being “complicit” in openly violating the articles of the Genocide Convention and the Geneva Convention.

Since January 26, 18 countries and the European Union have suspended their funding for UNRWA, against the backdrop of Israeli accusations against agency employees of participating in the attack on settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip on October 7, before some countries retracted this decision. At the same time, the agency announced that it was investigating these allegations.

UNRWA was established by a decision of the United Nations General Assembly in 1949, and was mandated to provide assistance and protection to refugees in its five areas of operations - Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip - until a just solution to their issue is reached.