“Any aid organization in Gaza or otherwise must be demonstrably free of ties to terrorism and committed to transparency, accountability, and peace.”
minute read
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) is leading a renewed Republican push to sever all remaining ties between the United Nations and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). UNRWA is the UN's controversial Palestinian aid agency long accused of having Hamas militants within its ranks and aiding the terrorist organization.
In a letter sent Monday to President Donald Trump, Cotton and 24 Republican senators called on the administration to “fully dismantle UNRWA” and remove the organization from the United Nations budget entirely, arguing that the agency has become irreparably compromised by terrorism. “Any aid organization in Gaza or otherwise must be demonstrably free of ties to terrorism and committed to transparency, accountability, and peace,” the lawmakers wrote. “We must ensure the failed system doesn’t continue reinforcing the conditions that have fueled terrorism for generations. The time to act is now.”
According to The New York Post, the effort comes after mounting scrutiny surrounding UNRWA following the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel. Israeli officials have repeatedly accused UNRWA employees of participating in the massacre and of assisting Hamas operations throughout Gaza. The senators pointed to findings from multiple investigations, including a federal watchdog probe that reportedly uncovered additional links between UNRWA personnel and Hamas. Israel has maintained that UNRWA’s ties to terrorism run too deep to reform and passed legislation banning UNRWA operations within Israel while cutting off official communication with the agency.
According to an April 30 investigative summary from the USAID Office of Inspector General, several UNRWA employees were allegedly involved in holding Israeli civilian hostages or participating in terrorist activities during the October 7 attack. The report stated that some staff members “participated in the holding of civilian hostages kidnapped from Israel and/or the terrorist activities in Israel on October 7, 2023.”
The USAID inspector general has reportedly submitted the names of 21 UNRWA staffers for suspension or debarment from receiving future American taxpayer funds. Among those identified were school principals, teachers, and social workers employed by the agency. The Department of Justice and the FBI are also reportedly investigating allegations that UNRWA employees assisted Hamas.
Republicans further argued that Hamas has exploited UNRWA infrastructure across Gaza to advance its military operations. “Since Oct. 7, Hamas has repeatedly diverted UNRWA’s supplies, used its facilities to hide weapons stockpiles and tunnel infrastructure, and even used its buildings to hold hostages,” the senators wrote.
The Trump administration moved earlier this year to halt direct US funding to the agency. Trump signed an executive order in February 2025 blocking American funding to UNRWA after the Biden administration had directed as much as $1.5 billion toward the organization during its tenure. Despite that order, Republicans argue that US taxpayers are still indirectly funding the agency through broader UN contributions. Roughly $70 million from the UN’s annual budget reportedly continues flowing to UNRWA, while additional funding is supplied by other countries.
The United Nations has also requested billions more for Gaza reconstruction efforts as part of a broader $71.4 billion recovery package.
Cotton has been among the most outspoken critics of the agency, arguing that continued support for UNRWA effectively enables Hamas. “Funding UNRWA is funding Hamas,” Cotton said separately. “This terrorist-filled organization should never receive another dime of funding.” The letter’s co-signers include Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Tim Scott (R-SC), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY), among others.
Meanwhile, some Democrats have acknowledged concerns surrounding UNRWA while cautioning against dismantling the agency without a replacement structure in place. Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, told the Jewish News Syndicate on Tuesday that eliminating the organization outright without an alternative humanitarian system could create further instability in Gaza. “Just getting rid of UNRWA and not having anyone there to feed and house and help people empowers the more extreme elements,” Smith told the outlet.
Smith argued that lawmakers calling for the agency’s dissolution should also outline a replacement plan. “If you want to dismantle UNRWA and come up with some alternative, I think that’s got to be part of it,” he said. “I would like to see something that says, ‘And here’s what’s going to be there instead.’”
Congress has already moved on a bipartisan basis to restrict funding to UNRWA, but Republicans are now pushing for a permanent end to the agency’s role within the UN system altogether.
In a letter sent Monday to President Donald Trump, Cotton and 24 Republican senators called on the administration to “fully dismantle UNRWA” and remove the organization from the United Nations budget entirely, arguing that the agency has become irreparably compromised by terrorism. “Any aid organization in Gaza or otherwise must be demonstrably free of ties to terrorism and committed to transparency, accountability, and peace,” the lawmakers wrote. “We must ensure the failed system doesn’t continue reinforcing the conditions that have fueled terrorism for generations. The time to act is now.”
According to The New York Post, the effort comes after mounting scrutiny surrounding UNRWA following the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel. Israeli officials have repeatedly accused UNRWA employees of participating in the massacre and of assisting Hamas operations throughout Gaza. The senators pointed to findings from multiple investigations, including a federal watchdog probe that reportedly uncovered additional links between UNRWA personnel and Hamas. Israel has maintained that UNRWA’s ties to terrorism run too deep to reform and passed legislation banning UNRWA operations within Israel while cutting off official communication with the agency.
According to an April 30 investigative summary from the USAID Office of Inspector General, several UNRWA employees were allegedly involved in holding Israeli civilian hostages or participating in terrorist activities during the October 7 attack. The report stated that some staff members “participated in the holding of civilian hostages kidnapped from Israel and/or the terrorist activities in Israel on October 7, 2023.”
The USAID inspector general has reportedly submitted the names of 21 UNRWA staffers for suspension or debarment from receiving future American taxpayer funds. Among those identified were school principals, teachers, and social workers employed by the agency. The Department of Justice and the FBI are also reportedly investigating allegations that UNRWA employees assisted Hamas.
Republicans further argued that Hamas has exploited UNRWA infrastructure across Gaza to advance its military operations. “Since Oct. 7, Hamas has repeatedly diverted UNRWA’s supplies, used its facilities to hide weapons stockpiles and tunnel infrastructure, and even used its buildings to hold hostages,” the senators wrote.
The Trump administration moved earlier this year to halt direct US funding to the agency. Trump signed an executive order in February 2025 blocking American funding to UNRWA after the Biden administration had directed as much as $1.5 billion toward the organization during its tenure. Despite that order, Republicans argue that US taxpayers are still indirectly funding the agency through broader UN contributions. Roughly $70 million from the UN’s annual budget reportedly continues flowing to UNRWA, while additional funding is supplied by other countries.
The United Nations has also requested billions more for Gaza reconstruction efforts as part of a broader $71.4 billion recovery package.
Cotton has been among the most outspoken critics of the agency, arguing that continued support for UNRWA effectively enables Hamas. “Funding UNRWA is funding Hamas,” Cotton said separately. “This terrorist-filled organization should never receive another dime of funding.” The letter’s co-signers include Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Tim Scott (R-SC), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY), among others.
Meanwhile, some Democrats have acknowledged concerns surrounding UNRWA while cautioning against dismantling the agency without a replacement structure in place. Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, told the Jewish News Syndicate on Tuesday that eliminating the organization outright without an alternative humanitarian system could create further instability in Gaza. “Just getting rid of UNRWA and not having anyone there to feed and house and help people empowers the more extreme elements,” Smith told the outlet.
Smith argued that lawmakers calling for the agency’s dissolution should also outline a replacement plan. “If you want to dismantle UNRWA and come up with some alternative, I think that’s got to be part of it,” he said. “I would like to see something that says, ‘And here’s what’s going to be there instead.’”
Congress has already moved on a bipartisan basis to restrict funding to UNRWA, but Republicans are now pushing for a permanent end to the agency’s role within the UN system altogether.
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