UNRWA Fires 70 Gaza Workers Over Hamas Infiltration Problem
The UN agency for Palestine refugees terminated 70 Gaza employees after a U.S. watchdog identified over 100 workers linked to Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people.
Christian Saunders, the agency’s interim Commissioner-General, announced the mass terminations Thursday while insisting the firings were not disciplinary actions and did not validate allegations against the dismissed workers.
Saunders characterized the staff purge as part of a security assessment for UNRWA operations in Gaza. The agency head claimed UNRWA has repeatedly requested information and evidence from Israeli authorities to support allegations against individual staff members but has received no response.
The firings follow Monday’s announcement by the US Agency for International Development’s internal watchdog, which referred more than 100 UNRWA employees for suspension or debarment from receiving American taxpayer funds for the next decade due to their involvement in assisting Hamas with the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
A senior State Department official responded sharply to the developments, as New York Post reports, noting that UNRWA only acknowledged its Hamas infiltration problem after an independent investigation by the USAID Inspector General.
The watchdog probe identified 108 UNRWA employees who will be barred from US funding based on their participation in the terror assault that claimed approximately 1,200 lives in Israel, including 46 American citizens, or their affiliation with the Hamas terror organization.
The individuals flagged by investigators held positions across UNRWA’s operations, including school principals, teachers, security personnel, medical professionals, and psychosocial counselors, according to the USAID investigative summary.
Congressional Republicans Push for Complete Elimination
Senate Republicans, spearheaded by Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton of Arkansas, have called on President Trump to completely dismantle UNRWA and remove it from United Nations funding altogether in light of the exposed Hamas connections.
Administration sources confirmed to New York Post that White House discussions have explored using funding cutoffs as leverage to force the UN to sever ties with UNRWA.
President Trump signed an executive order in February 2025 eliminating federal funding for the agency, which had previously received between $350 million and $360 million in voluntary US contributions.
International Funding Continues Despite US Withdrawal
Despite the American funding withdrawal, other countries provided more than $839 million directly to UNRWA that same calendar year. The United Nations annual budget, which still receives US contributions, allocates approximately $70 million for UNRWA, bringing the agency’s total budget close to $1 billion.
The USAID Inspector General’s investigation is examining up to 1,500 UNRWA employees. Parallel criminal investigations are being conducted by the Department of Justice and FBI, sources familiar with the probes have confirmed.
With information from New York Post
