The United States sent $121 million to a United Nations relief agency believed to have ties with Hamas. The Biden administration approved an additional amount of more than $300,000 for the organization that provided assistance to Palestinian refugees and civilians as but the funding was later suspended in light of allegations of ties with Hamas.
The Biden administration has been sending mixed messages, expressing support and concerns about UNRWA. Mr. Miller revealed that Israel had alleged that there were a dozen members of UNRWA who took part in the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. However, UNRWA has fired those employees. Nonetheless, the United States is the largest contributor to UNRWA.
Although Mr. Miller reiterated the importance of UNRWA’s work in dealing with the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and called on UNRWA to take the internal investigation seriously, critics have accused the organization of fueling hatred of Israel and perpetuating terrorism.
Despite the allegations and suspensions, critics have said that firing a few staff members will not suffice and UNRWA should cease to exist. Some have suggested that a new mechanism replace the agency, that would incorporate experiences of other United Nations and international agencies and plug the holes in the checkered record identified in UNRWA’s activities.