WASHINGTON — A US authorities watchdog has discovered no less than 4 extra staffers for the United Nations’ Palestinian refugee assist company “kidnapped” Israelis and aided Hamas’ terror assault on Oct. 7, 2023, data that’s prone to feed right into a federal felony probe, sources instructed The Publish.
The USAID Workplace of Inspector Common, in an April 30 investigative abstract, cited “4 further present or former employees” on the UN Aid and Works Company for Palestine Refugees, three of whom had been lecturers and one among whom was a social employee.
The unnamed staffers had been “alleged to have participated within the holding of civilian hostages kidnapped from Israel and/or the terrorist actions in Israel on October 7, 2023,” the abstract acknowledged.
Greater than 100 UNRWA officers are being investigated by the IG’s workplace — with proof now supporting no less than 21 had been affiliated with Hamas or participated within the terror group’s bloodbath of 1,200 within the Jewish state, together with 46 US residents. Greater than 250 hostages had been additionally taken again to the Gaza Strip.
“The latest investigation by the USAID IG confirms that the UN is poor in vetting its personal employees for ties to terrorist organizations,” a senior State Division official instructed The Publish.
“Because the UN itself doesn’t contemplate Hamas a terrorist group, each UN businesses and native NGOs [non-governmental organizations] should rent Hamas-affiliated employees that place packages at excessive threat for diversion. This is not going to be tolerated.”
All 21 UNRWA staffers have since been proposed for suspension or debarment from receiving federal funds for the following decade. Previous USAID OIG stories have known as out the chance of a whole bunch of tens of millions of {dollars} in US taxpayer funding to the UN company being diverted to terror teams.
In response to the IG probe’s findings, Division of Justice senior counsel Leo Terrell additionally posted on X of the 4 most up-to-date staff flagged for Hamas ties: “Jail them!”
The DOJ and FBI have already been trying into allegations that UNRWA staff assisted Hamas, in keeping with two sources accustomed to the matter. A type of folks famous that USAID OIG’s proof may very well be forwarded finally to prosecutors ought to they resolve to carry a case.
“The FBI is unquestionably concerned in it on the counterterrorism aspect,” the opposite supply famous, including that “the homicide of Individuals” in Israel had prompted their involvement.
UNRWA had already confronted a civil go well with that alleged it “aided and abetted” Hamas by offering greater than $1 billion to Gaza, however a Manhattan federal choose dominated final October that the company has immunity from such authorized claims since it’s a part of the United Nations.
President Trump’s DOJ had moved to strip UNRWA of that immunity in April 2025 — and has since appealed US District Choose Analisa Torres’ choice to the Second US Circuit Courtroom of Appeals.
“The query of immunity for UNRWA,” one supply additionally famous, “would even be related for felony indictments and financial sanctions.”
The DOJ introduced costs in September 2024 towards senior Hamas leaders, together with offering materials help for a US-designated terror group that has killed Individuals and conspiring to bomb places or use weapons of mass destruction in killings — all of which carry a most penalty of life in jail or the dying penalty.
These costs or different counts for financing terrorism or evading sanctions in violation the Worldwide Emergency Financial Powers Act — each of which carry most penalties of 20 years in jail every — may very well be introduced towards people who conspired with Hamas, sources mentioned.
Trump signed an government order in February 2025 halting all US funding to UNRWA, which had acquired as much as $1.5 billion in the course of the Biden administration.
As of final month, congressional appropriators are additionally taking a look at chopping complete UN funding by as much as $1.8 billion — with a provision particularly eliminating American tax {dollars} from going to any group that doesn’t cooperate with the USAID OIG investigation.
UNRWA received greater than $839 million in funding by way of the United Nations within the 2025 calendar 12 months, and the UN is asking for billions extra this 12 months as a part of a $71.4 billion package deal for restoration and reconstruction in Gaza.
One month earlier than the funding request, USAID OIG had uncovered an UNRWA faculty principal, Hafez Mousa Mohammed Mousa, who served as an operative in Hamas’ East Jabaliya Battalion and helped with coordinating communications for the Oct. 7 assault.
The IG’s probe led to the debarment of Mousa from receiving federal funds for the following 10 years — the primary time a terrorist affiliated with UNRWA had been prevented from receiving humanitarian help.
Mousa is the one particular person who has been named as far as a part of the investigation. A senior US diplomat mentioned following his debarment that the “checklist” of UNRWA officers beneath investigation was “increasing.”
Reps for the DOJ, FBI and UNRWA didn’t reply to requests for remark.
