House Republicans are pressing for testimony from the chief of a United Nations agency accused of providing support to Hamas through the distribution of “food, fuel, and supplies” intended for humanitarian aid during the group’s conflict with Israel. The House Foreign Affairs Committee penned a letter to the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) this week, expressing concerns about reports suggesting that the agency has funneled “hundreds of millions of dollars” to Hamas and other foreign terrorist organizations, the NY Post reports.
The committee, led by Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), along with Reps. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Chris Smith (R-NJ), and Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), urged the commissioner to appear before the committee by January 24th, 2024, to address these concerns.
As the primary donor to the humanitarian agency, the Biden administration has faced scrutiny over the use of funds following Hamas’ invasion of Israel on October 7, resulting in 1,200 casualties, including 33 U.S. citizens. The State Department contributed approximately $344 million to UNRWA in 2022 under President Biden, who reinstated funding after the Trump administration cut it off in 2018, citing irredeemable flaws. Since January 2021, Biden’s administration has allocated over $730 million in U.S. taxpayer money to UNRWA, including an additional $100 million announced in October.
Rep. Darrell Issa emphasized a shift away from UNWRA’s past support for Palestinian grievances, accusing the agency of harboring terrorist sympathizers, storing rockets, and promoting hatred of Israelis in its facilities and schools. Issa declared that the era of underwriting Palestinian grievances and aiding the diversion of humanitarian aid to terrorist support is over.
Recent reports from the Israel Defense Forces and media outlets indicated that Hamas terrorists are stealing UNRWA’s food and supplies intended for humanitarian purposes. The Republicans cited these reports, highlighting that the diversion to the terror group is not a new issue. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Inspector General released a report in November, identifying deliberate interference and efforts to divert humanitarian assistance in regions with foreign terrorist organization (FTO) activity.
The federal watchdog deemed Biden’s $100 million funding as high-risk for potential diversion to FTOs, including Hamas. It warned of prosecution by the Justice Department for improper vetting of grant applications that might lead to funding terrorism. Past cases have resulted in significant settlements with non-governmental groups violating U.S. terror sanctions.
A joint report by non-governmental organizations UN Watch and the Israeli Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education revealed UNRWA’s employment of teachers who advocate for violence against Jews and use textbooks that glorify terrorism and demonize Israelis. The House committee expressed ongoing concerns about UNRWA’s failure to uphold United Nations standards of neutrality in Gaza operations, citing the proximity of Hamas tunnels to UNRWA schools, which terrorists exploit by using children and schools as human shields.
The House panel members also referenced a Jerusalem Post article reporting that one of the 240 hostages taken by Hamas back to Gaza had been held in a UNRWA teacher’s attic for nearly 50 days before being released to Israel.
{Matzav.com}
