Washington, D.C. – House Oversight lawmakers are seeking answers regarding the Biden administration’s decision to fund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), amid allegations of the agency’s ties to the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on June 11, detailing UNRWA’s alleged connections to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization currently engaged in conflict with Israel. The letter expressed concerns over the Biden administration’s decision to restore funding to UNRWA in 2021, reversing a previous suspension of funds.
“As we wrote previously, the Committee is concerned by the Biden Administration’s decision to renew funding for UNRWA. The underlying concerns have not changed,” the letter stated. It further cited reports from February indicating that several UNRWA staff members participated in the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks by Hamas. Additionally, the letter mentioned recent reports of Hamas compounds located under UNRWA buildings in Gaza City. The previous administration had suspended funding for the agency, deeming it “irredeemably flawed” due to its alleged use of classrooms to promote violence, hate speech, jihad, martyrdom, and antisemitism.
The House Oversight Committee has been requesting information for months but claims to have received an “inadequate” response from the State Department. Israel has also called for the dissolution of the U.N. agency, citing security concerns.
“Rockets have been found on multiple occasions in UNRWA schools,” the letter continued. “Following the October 7 terrorist attacks, there was widespread enthusiasm for the attacks by UNRWA teachers and staff.”
The State Department released a “framework for cooperation” with UNRWA last year, aimed at providing humanitarian assistance and protection to Palestinian refugees. The framework was restarted in 2021 after being halted between 2005 and 2018.
“The United States and UNRWA are jointly committed to addressing the needs of Palestinian refugees through effective provision of humanitarian assistance and protection, and to promoting the enhanced human development potential of Palestinian refugees,” the State Department document stated.
However, lawmakers argue that UNRWA has a “pattern of extremism and antisemitism” and that the State Department has not demonstrated effective oversight of the group. The letter emphasized that the State Department has not adequately explained the decision to renew funding for UNRWA.
“Importantly, the State Department still has not explained why it decided to renew funding to UNRWA,” the letter said. “The list of safeguards and oversight mechanisms provided in your response only underscores the Committee’s initial concerns. Given the Committee’s previously raised concerns regarding the decision to renew cooperation with UNRWA, and the State Department’s failure to comply with the request, we seek information directly from Ms. Valls Noyes.”
The House Oversight Committee is now seeking further evidence from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to verify whether risky experiments were conducted, adding to the scrutiny surrounding the Biden administration’s funding decisions for international aid organizations.
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