Ireland’s foreign minister and deputy prime minister Micheal Martin has accused Israel of deliberately undermining the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in a bid to remove “the right to return” for Palestinians, Al Jazeera reports, citing RTE.

UNRWA collectively recognises millions of displaced Palestinians who have a right to eventually return to their occupied land as stipulated under UN Resolution 194.

Martin, who is in Egypt and will visit the Gaza border crossing at Rafah, said Ireland’s decision to increase funding to UNRWA — despite the Israeli allegations that 12 staff had taken part in the October 7 attack — was now vindicated.

“We took an opposite view to most countries, we actually increased our aid at that time, and I’m hoping now as a result of the publication of this report that some countries who have paused their support will now allow their support,” he said.