Switzerland has said that no decision would be taken on an expected aid payment to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees until “serious accusations” against several UNRWA staff were clarified, AFP reports.

The Swiss foreign ministry said it was “extremely worried” about allegations that several UNRWA staff members were involved in Hamas’s October 7 attacks inside Israel.

The Swiss foreign ministry said the country’s annual contribution to UNRWA, around 20 million Swiss francs ($23 million) in recent years, had yet to be approved for 2024.

“No decision will be taken as to this payment until we have more information about the serious accusations against UNRWA staff members,” it said.

Switzerland’s right-leaning lower house of parliament attempted during general budget discussions last month to strip UNRWA of its annual funding but the upper house opposed the move.

Parliament eventually reached a compromise to cut 10 million francs from the overall humanitarian funding budget, without specifying where the money should be saved.