WASHINGTON — Greater than 100 workers on the United Nations Aid and Works Company (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees have been referred for suspension or debarment from taking US taxpayer {dollars} after a federal watchdog discovered that they had helped Hamas perform the Oct. 7, 2023, terror assault towards Israel.
The US Company for Worldwide Improvement’s Workplace of Inspector Common (USAID) submitted 101 extra names for debarment or suspension based mostly on their “participation” within the assault that killed 1,200 in Israel — together with 46 US residents — or “affiliation” with Hamas’ navy wing, the al-Qassam Brigades.
“Among the many people referred have been UNRWA college principals, academics, safety personnel,
attendants, psychosocial counselors, and medical professionals,” the USAID OIG investigative abstract acknowledged.
One of many UNRWA staffers was a deputy college principal who additionally served as an al-Qassam deputy commander. One other deputy college principal was additionally a squad chief in a Khan Younis brigade.
5 workers of the UN company had been academics whereas concurrently serving as navy or intelligence officers in Hamas or its affiliated terror forces within the Gaza Strip. The report itself doesn’t ID the staff past their occupation.
A type of academics even moved anti-tank missiles to help the fear group in the course of the Oct. 7 bloodbath.
Different principals concerned within the assault facilitated communications or labored in faculties that permit Hamas function “anti-tank positions” and tunnels beneath the power.
At this level, USAID OIG’s “energetic and ongoing investigation” has both suspended or debarred 108 people for “having participated within the October 7 and/or having Hamas affiliation,” the abstract famous.
That may maintain all of them from getting any US overseas support funding for the subsequent 10 years. A complete of 1,500 UNRWA workers are being checked out, based on the Washington Free Beacon. A senior State Division official confirmed to The Submit that the determine was correct.
The inspector basic’s workplace had expanded its investigation in March, The Submit first reported. Sources beforehand revealed that the USAID OIG probe has been operating parallel to a federal prison investigation into Hamas’ ties with UNRWA.
“It stays USAID OIG’s investigative precedence to make sure that U.S.-funded humanitarian help in Gaza doesn’t fall into the fingers of Hamas and different overseas terrorist organizations, depriving help from reaching civilian non-combatants in want,” the investigative abstract concluded.
“In assist of this effort, USAID OIG has further ongoing investigative work geared toward stopping the recirculation of terrorist-affiliated actors throughout U.S.-funded support organizations working in Gaza.”
Earlier inspector basic inquiries have discovered funds for the UN company are prone to being diverted to terror teams in Gaza.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who chairs the Intelligence Committee within the higher chamber, and 24 Republican senators referred to as on the Trump administration final month to “totally dismantle UNRWA” and remove it from the United Nations’ finances.
In February 2025, President Trump signed an govt order pulling US funding for UNRWA, although greater than $839 million flowed to the company from worldwide contributors that 12 months.
The UN’s annual finances additionally units apart round $70 million for the Palestinian support company.
