U.N. Agency Terminates Staff for Hamas Ties, U.S. Suspends Funding

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is conducting an internal investigation following allegations that several of its employees were involved in a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. The attack left 1,200 Israelis dead and triggered ongoing conflict in Gaza. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has terminated the contracts of the implicated staff members, but the specific number of those dismissed has not been disclosed; the US has estimated 12 were involved. As a result of these allegations, the US State Department has suspended new funding to UNRWA pending a review of the situation and the steps the UN is taking to address it.

This suspension comes amid a larger context of violence and humanitarian concerns. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued a preliminary ruling in a case brought by South Africa against Israel, in which South Africa accuses Israel of genocide in its offensive against Hamas. The ICJ has called on Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent genocide and to consider ceasing military operations, but it has not ordered a definitive end to Israel's actions. South Africa has not officially won the case, despite the ICJ's support for nearly all the provisional measures it requested, except for a cease-fire.

The funding halt could impact UNRWA's ability to address the significant humanitarian needs in Gaza, where the vast majority of the population is experiencing crisis levels of hunger. The agency, which has a substantial presence in Gaza with approximately 13,000 staffers, nearly all of whom are Palestinian, has not commented on how the cessation of US funding will affect its operations. Since the start of the conflict on October 7, over 26,000 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 64,400 have been wounded.