The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said on Saturday that nine countries' decisions to suspend funding over Israeli allegations that staff were involved in the October 7 attacks on Israel was shocking, and urged them to reverse course.

"These decisions threaten our ongoing humanitarian work across the region including and especially in the Gaza Strip," Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement.

The UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Finland on Saturday joined the United States, Australia and Canada in pausing funding to the aid agency as Israel called on it to be "replaced with agencies dedicated to genuine peace and development."

According to the UN agency, it had already opened an investigation into the allegations and severed ties with those people.

The UNRWA, established as a subsidiary organ of the UN General Assembly in 1949, serves to support the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees and is entrusted with the mission of providing humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestinian refugees in the agency's operational areas until a just and lasting solution to their plight is achieved. 

(With input from agencies)