(Bloomberg) -- Individual donors now are the largest source of funding for the United Nations relief agency that helps Palestinians, making up for some, but not all, of the $450 million lost when the US and other nations cut funding amid terrorism accusations by Israel after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack.

The UN Relief and Works Agency has raised $50 million via online donations since the start of the year, and $100 million since the Israel-Hamas war started, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told reporters Tuesday. That’s more than any contribution by donor countries this year.

“This is an extraordinary indication of grassroots solidarity,” Lazzarini said. The donations are an “indication that we are finding alternative ways” to cope with the shortfall from donor nations, he said.

The US, the European Union and about 15 other donors halted donations to the agency that serves some 2 million Palestinians in Gaza after Israel claimed that several UNRWA employees participated in the Oct. 7 assault by Hamas that killed some 1,200 people. 

A UN-commissioned report released Monday found that “neutrality-related issues persist” at UNRWA but said Israel still hasn’t provided evidence to back claims that hundreds of its 12,000 staff members are members of Hamas or other terrorist groups. A separate investigation is looking into the Israeli accusations that UNRWA employees joined the attacks, allegations that already led to the dismissal of at least nine UNRWA workers.

UNRWA, which serves Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and the West Bank, has been repeatedly described by UN officials as the “lifeline” for Gazans as the death toll surpasses 34,000, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

While donors including Japan and Australia have already resumed funding to the organization, others are looking for further evidence that UNRWA doesn’t have ties to Hamas, which is deemed a terrorist organization by the US and the European Union. Germany, now the largest contributor to the agency, restored some €45 million ($48 million) in new donations to UNRWA last month but specified it couldn’t be used for initiatives in Gaza.

The US, which has long been UNRWA’s leading donor and last year pledged more than $400 million to it, wants to see “real progress” before restoring funding, White House spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday.

--With assistance from Jordan Fabian.

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