Lawmakers are seeking to take action against the United Nations agency that serves Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip after reports that it supported the terrorist organization Hamas.
Congressman Brian Mast (R-Fla.) and Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D.N.J.) urge the U.S. Department of State to do everything in its power to refund U.S. taxes paid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine. A bill has been proposed that requires. Near Eastern Refugees (UNRWA).
“For too long, UNRWA has masqueraded as a relief organization but actually served as a breeding ground for Palestinian terrorists. Intelligence reports suggest that as many as 10% of UNRWA staff have direct ties to Hamas or Palestinian jihadists. ,” Mast said. he said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
He added, “It’s ridiculous that our hard-earned American tax dollars are being used to fund this crap. The State Department needs to do everything in its power to get this money back.”
Documents reveal information used to explain deep ties between UN agency and Hamas in Gaza
“UNRWA is masquerading as a relief organization,” Rep. Mast (R-Fla.) told Fox News Digital. (Reuters/Amr Abdallah Darsh/File photo)
The bill was enacted after allegations surfaced that at least a dozen UNRWA personnel participated in or supported Hamas terrorists during the group’s October 7 nighttime attack on Israeli border areas. More than 1,200 people were killed in the attack, and Hamas took more than 200 hostages from the terrorists. He attended a music festival and returned to Gaza from his home.
Following reports that some UNRWA members had supported Hamas, the Biden administration announced on January 26 that it would suspend additional tax dollars to the agency.
However, days before the freeze, the administration had already transferred $121 million to UNRWA.
Mast and Gottheimer’s bipartisan bill hopes to restore that amount to the U.S.
From 2009 to 2024, just under $4 billion in taxpayer dollars went to humanitarian relief organizations, according to a Fox News Digital investigation. (Mahmoud Issa/SOPA Image/LightRocket, Getty Images)
The bill is part of continuing efforts by the United States and other countries to separate government agencies.
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According to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. intelligence agencies said in February that some UNRWA personnel likely took part in the attack, but there are concerns about Israel’s broader relationship with the agency. He also said the claims could not be verified.
In March, the Israeli government released the names of 12 UNRWA officials linked to and supporting Hamas in the October 7 attack on Israel, in a document shared with several allies. The three are suspected of being involved in the kidnapping and house arrest of the hostages.
Republican Congressman Brian Mast of Florida has introduced a bill that would require the U.S. Department of State to take all steps to recover U.S. tax dollars from UNRWA. (Ting Sheng/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The agency fired the 12 employees named in the complaint, but the damage has already been done, with UNRWA losing hundreds of millions of dollars from donors after the letter was sent.
This information includes allegations that approximately 1,200 staff members had some connection to Hamas, including approximately 17% of UNRWA’s teachers (out of a total of 8,300), UNRWA’s principals and assistants. Approximately 20% of school principals (out of a total of 500) are members of Hamas. . Connections with the organization extend to UNRWA staff in jobs related to relief and humanitarian assistance, including approximately 10% of the 151 relief workers and members of UNRWA’s health services.
Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) joined Mast in introducing the UNRWA bill. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The document also included excerpts from textbooks used in the agency’s school curriculum that allegedly contained glorification of martyrdom and anti-Semitic metaphors. The maps provided to children in their textbooks show the unique land on which Israel and the Palestinian territories reside, but are labeled as unique Palestine.
After the report surfaced, Congress passed a bill to suspend funding to UNRWA until 2025.
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Other governments have similarly severed financial ties with UNRWA.
The report and subsequent response came years after former President Trump took action against UNRWA while in the White House.
FOX News’ Peter Aitken contributed to this report.
