More than 90 House members, led by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), urged U.S. President Donald Trump to dismantle the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, citing longstanding allegations tying the agency to Hamas and other terrorist groups.
“Rather than resolving the refugee crisis, UNRWA has perpetuated and expanded the problem through its unprecedented policy of conferring refugee status across generations—transforming what was once a finite humanitarian issue into a permanent and growing political challenge,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter sent to the president. Most of the signatories were Republicans.
Established by the U.N. General Assembly in 1949, UNRWA provides education, healthcare and social services to Palestinians in Gaza, Judea and Samaria, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Unlike the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, which generally limits refugee status to those directly displaced, UNRWA extends eligibility to Palestinian refugees from the 1948 and 1967 wars as well as their descendants.
The lawmakers argued that the agency’s structure has entrenched Palestinian dependency while discouraging host governments from pursuing long-term solutions.
“By fulfilling these needs, UNRWA has reduced incentives for host governments to pursue long-term solutions, leaving millions dependent on the agency and prolonging the refugee crisis,” the letter states. “Additionally, UNRWA has faced longstanding concerns about its educational curriculum, which has been found to promote antisemitism and glorify terrorism.”
“This has raised serious questions about the agency’s role in radicalizing Palestinian youth,” the letter adds.
The United States and several other countries suspended funding to UNRWA after Israel uncovered documentation alleging that staff members participated in the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
The lawmakers said the allegations following Oct. 7 reinforced broader concerns about the agency’s operations and neutrality.
“As your administration works to advance stability and long-term security in the region, it is critical that we do not continue to rely on failed systems that have further entrenched the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” they wrote.
Arab states have also reduced funding to the agency in recent years, contributing to an ongoing financial crisis.
The U.S. government has largely sidestepped UNRWA, turning to other U.N. agencies and NGOs to carry out humanitarian aid delivery in Gaza since an Israel-Hamas ceasefire came into place.
“We strongly urge your administration to take decisive action to fully dismantle UNRWA and transition its functions to more credible and trusted partners that are demonstrably free of ties to terrorism and committed to transparency, accountability, and peace,” the lawmakers wrote. “This could include shifting direct assistance for Palestinian refugee programming to host countries or other legitimate non-governmental organizations.”
