US and others cut funding to UN agency after staffers accused of taking part in Oct. 7 Hamas attack

Evidence of a United Nations agency’s alleged involvement in the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel has resulted in a growing number of countries’ decision to cut funding to that agency, while Israel attempts to have them removed from Gaza. 

After Israel provided evidence to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) that several of its employees were involved in the vicious terrorist attack that took place in southern Israel on October 7, leaving approximately 1,200 people dead and 240 kidnapped by Hamas, UNRWA proceeded to fire 12 staffers.

The United States temporarily paused “additional” funding to UNRWA and has now been joined by Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia and Switzerland, according to Fox News.

"UNRWA can read the Beltway press well enough to know that Congress is moving to cut off U.S. funding," Richard Goldberg, former National Security Council (NSC) advisor during the Trump Administration who is now a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital. 

"This is a PR move designed to preempt congressional action. It does nothing to change the fact that UNRWA is complicit in Hamas war crimes and remains a key obstacle to peace," added Goldberg, currently a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Under President Donald Trump, the State Department cut off funding and all ties to UNRWA in 2018, but President Joe Biden resumed the relationship shortly after taking office. He continued to increase spending for the organization, with funds exceeding $1 billion. 

Israel is trying to build support to get UNRWA kicked out of Gaza over this issue, according to the New York Post.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced the Middle East nation was working to ensure that “UNRWA will not be a part of the day after” following the staffers’ firings.  

“We have been warning for years: UNRWA perpetuates the refugee issue, obstructs peace, and serves as a civilian arm of Hamas in Gaza,” the foreign minister said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.