More nations rethink funding for UN relief agency after feds refer 100-plus staff for Hamas ties

More countries are reconsidering their support agreements with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, a senior State Department official confirmed to Just the News.

Following Just the News reporting that the United States' Agency for International Development's Inspector General's office found more than 100 UNRWA employees had participated in the Hamas atrocities of Oct. 7, 2023, Finland’s minister for foreign trade and development announced on Thursday that the country would not extend its support for UNRWA. 

Several more countries have since indicated that they are reconsidering their own support for UNRWA as well, a senior State Department official briefed on the USAID IG’s investigation told Just the News.

“The USAID IG’s ongoing investigation into Hamas ties to UNRWA is prompting other European countries to examine continued funding to UNRWA,” the official said. “It’s time for the world to move on and fund more responsible organizations that are truly committed to peace.”

On Friday, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the U.N. Secretary-General, gave a press briefing during which he was asked about the latest report on the number of UNRWA employees who allegedly partnered with Hamas on Oct. 7. Specifically, the spokesman was asked about the U.S. referring individuals to the Department of Justice to bring criminal charges.

"I can tell you we are willing and open to cooperate obviously with the U.S. government and others on these issues while staying in full respect of the privileges and immunities of the organization," Dujarric said.

The senior State Department official responded, telling Just the News that "If the U.N. fails to waive immunity for staff that the USAID IG has identified as having committed mass murder, rape, and kidnappings of Americans and Israelis on Oct. 7, expect major repercussions."

On Wednesday, the USAID IG announced that it had referred more than 100 current or former UNRWA staff to the State Department for consideration of suspension and/or debarment action. Debarment would ensure the individuals could not do business with the government – including getting federal contracts, grants or financial awards. 

The individuals who were referred were found to have links to Hamas and other U.S. designated terrorist organizations and participated in the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel.

Of the more than 100 referred, three former UNRWA school teachers have already been proposed for debarment by the State Department – a Hamas military operative who allegedly kidnapped individuals during the terrorist attack, one identified through Hamas military records as an operative of the Rafah Brigade of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and a third who allegedly received and held civilian hostages during the terrorist attack. 

A fourth individual was also proposed for debarment, Faisal Ali Al-Naami. But the proposal was terminated when it was determined that Al-Naami was deceased. Al-Naami was a former UNRWA social worker and Hamas military communications operative who allegedly participated in kidnapping an Israeli civilian on Oct. 7, the IG said.

The IG’s ongoing investigation into UNRWA has so far resulted in one debarment, of Hafez Mousa Mohammed Mousa, a Hamas operative who coordinated communications with other suspected Hamas members during the Oct. 7 attack, in which roughly 1,200 people in Israel died.

Mousa performed these duties for Hamas while working as an UNRWA school principal. The debarment was the first known of its kind by the U.S. for a terrorist affiliated with a UN agency responsible for humanitarian aid.

“Unfortunately, it is no surprise that UNRWA employees were determined to be involved in the barbaric October 7 attack," said State Department spokesman Tommy Piggot in response to a Just the News inquiry. 

"President Trump and Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio have affirmed time and time again that no State Department funding will be provided to UNRWA, which has been totally infiltrated by Hamas and terrorist sympathizers.”

UNRWA was established by the U.N. General Assembly in 1949 following the previous year’s Arab-Israeli conflict and was supposed to provide emergency food and relief programs to Palestinian refugees. 

But since the Oct. 7 attacks, the agency has been exposed as a facilitator to Hamas, including Israel’s discovery of a network of tunnels under the agency’s Gaza headquarters where Hamas stored supplies.

In January 2024, Israel also found evidence that 12 UNRWA workers participated in the attacks. UNRWA responded by saying nine of those 12 were fired, while one had died and the other two would be investigated.

“Any UN employee involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution. The Secretariat is ready to cooperate with a competent authority able to prosecute the individuals in line with the Secretariat’s normal procedures for such cooperation,” UNRWA’s Secretary-General António Guterres said at the time.