"Israel is giving cautious support to an anticipated US funding cut to the UN's Palestinians refugee agency, but is aiming to minimize possible damage to the Palestinians' humanitarian situations from the move, according to reports Saturday.
Israel's Channel 2 reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had suggested rerouting the money from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency to another UN body, with the funds still going to the aid Palestinian refugees.
Such a move would allow the US to back up its threat to cut funding, but also minimize any damage the funding cut could wreak in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has often criticized UNRWA, accusing it of sheltering terrorists and allowing Palestinians to remain as refugees, thus complicating a possible resolution to the Israeli-Palestinians conflict. On Saturday, intelligence minister Israel Katz told Channel 10 news the funding cut was 'definitely correct.'
'UNRWA perpetuates the refugee [status] in Gaza,' he said...
On Friday, senior US officials denied reports that $125 million in aid to the UN's Palestinian refugee agency had been frozen.
'Contrary to reports that we have halted funding to UNRWA, the decision is under review,' a State Department official told The Times of Israel. 'There are still deliberations taking place, and we have missed no deadline.'
Earlier on Friday, Channel 10 news reported that $125 million in US funding that should have been transferred to UNRWA by January 1 was being held up.
The TV report said that while that initial payment had been frozen, the administration was actually considering cutting altogether a total of some $180 million from its UNRWA payments - about half of the annual budget..."