Let’s talk about the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Established in 1949, UNRWA has played a pivotal role in providing humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees across the region. However, recent scrutiny raises crucial questions about its involvement in terrorism.
It’s time to shut down UNRWA. The organization has demonstrated a consistent collaboration with a designated terror group. UNRWA has not registered objections to the utilization of its facilities, including schools, by Hamas for the storage of weapons and harboring of fighters. These facilities have been employed as strongholds, facilitating the launching of rockets into Israel and engaging in hostilities against the IDF.
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Hamas diverted UNRWA resources for tunnel construction, with numerous UNRWA teachers expressing support for the October 7 attacks. These educators, accused of instructing pupils in violent antisemitism and having longstanding ties to Hamas, were terminated by UNRWA following allegations of their involvement in the October 7 invasion of Israel.
The accusations are what prompted eight countries, including the United States, to suspend some aid payments to UNRWA.
Over a dozen donor states, including the U.S, Germany, France, Japan, Canada, and the Netherlands have suspended funds to UNRWA in an unprecedented rebuke.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees announced on Friday that it had fired “several” staff members who Israel claimed had been involved in Hamas’ historic October 7 raid on southern towns.
“Any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution,” said UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini.
Beneath the facade of a humanitarian relief agency lies a distinct political agenda. UNRWA, as perceived by Palestinians within its employ, serves as the “main political witness to our cause.”
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UNRWA’s core mission is to sustain the Palestinian refugee status, a departure from the broader mandate of refugee assistance seen globally. Notably, millions of Palestinians enrolled in UNRWA schools across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, and Gaza are imparted with the belief that the 1948 war persists, fostering a narrative centered around a purported “right of return” — an assertion implicitly aiming to dismantle and take control of Israel.
Earlier this month, Middle East analyst Eitan Fischberger discovered a Telegram chat group of @UNRWA educators in #Gaza. “Let me tell you,” he quipped on X, ”they sure do love #Hamas and October 7th.”
What they found was a chat group of 3,000 #UNRWA teachers with discussions about when to expect their next UNRWA salaries mixed together with messages, photos, and videos celebrating the Hamas massacre of October 7, and other acts of #terrorism.
Fischberger’s colleagues at UN Watch worked diligently with professional Arabic translators to sift through more than 249,000 user posts in the chat group.
A computer teacher at UNRWA expressed support for acts of terrorism against Jews. Al Najjar enthusiastically celebrated the Hamas attacks.
Another English teacher Abdallah Mehjez, shared a message from the Hamas Interior Ministry encouraging Gazans to stay in place and disregard Israeli evacuation warnings for their safety. Essentially, an UNRWA teacher was aligning with Hamas, advocating for Gaza civilians to remain in harm’s way and, in effect, serve as human shields.
Another teacher, Abdul Kareem Mezher, enthusiastically endorsed the Hamas terrorists, stating, “May Allah keep their feet steady and guide their aim,” and urging prayers for the Mujahidin with a plea for God’s protection and safe return.
Despite undergoing mandated “neutrality” training, additional UNRWA teachers serving as administrators within the group exhibit no hesitation in expressing support for the killing of Jews.
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UNRWA representatives frequently reassure American audiences that the organization functions “on the principles of neutrality, impartiality, independence, and humanity.”
However, as the Telegram group demonstrates, this is untrue.
UNRWA is so infiltrated with Hamas supporters that Western donors, following their investigations, may rightly advocate for a comprehensive overhaul or the complete shutdown of UNRWA. Staff members, especially the 3,000 teachers on the Instagram account praising Hamas for the October 7 attack, should be terminated. Those who were aware of Hamas’ misuse of UNRWA facilities and the misappropriation of humanitarian aid in Gaza, yet remained silent, should also be dismissed.
UNRWA now faces a challenging situation as twelve of its employees have been charged, based on Israeli intelligence, for participating in Hamas atrocities on October 7.
Additionally, the Israel Land Authority (ILA) has presented UNRWA with demands related to their occupation of 21 acres of Jewish-owned land in northern Jerusalem. UNRWA is required to promptly demolish the constructed buildings, vacate the area, and pay 17 million shekels ($4.6 million) to settle back rent claims from the ILA, which owns the property.
Philippe Lazzarini, the well-compensated Director-General of UNRWA, expresses concern over Western donors’ reactions to revelations about twelve agency staffers participating in the October 7 incident with Hamas. Lazzarini is also troubled by the potential need to downsize the bureaucracy in Gaza and reduce salaries for top-tier employees, including his own.
“It is shocking to see a suspension of funds to the Agency in reaction to allegations against a small group of staff, especially given the immediate action that UNRWA took by terminating their contracts and asking for a transparent independent investigation,” said Lazzarini.
The fact that Hamas is using a large portion of the humanitarian aid that is currently reaching Gaza to fund its operations puts Gazans in danger and has prompted the people of Gaza to openly criticize Hamas.
UNRWA is now tasked with conducting a comprehensive investigation into its employees, beyond the initial dozen fired due to evidence provided by Israel, to determine their support for or collaboration with Hamas. The resumption of aid from countries that have suspended it is contingent upon UNRWA’s actions and appropriate measures taken against employees found to be Hamas supporters or collaborators.
While the Gulf Arab states contribute less than $50 million combined to UNRWA, they remain cautious due to concerns about aid potentially benefiting Hamas leaders. Supporters of UNRWA argue that the allegations aim to undermine the refugee issue. Lazzarini has pledged to appoint an independent entity to examine the claims, acknowledging the impact of the accusations on the agency’s operations. However, critics argue that addressing such allegations is necessary to eliminate any support for terrorism within UNRWA and rectify the issue of antisemitism in its schoolbooks.