House lawmakers urge Trump to dismantle UNRWA over alleged ties to Hamas
More than 90 House members, led by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), are urging President Donald Trump to dismantle the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), citing longstanding allegations of ties to Hamas and other terrorist groups. Most signatories were Republicans.
“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.
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, UNRWA extends refugee eligibility to those displaced in 1948 and 1967 as well as their descendants.
The lawmakers argue the agency’s structure entrenches dependency and discourages long-term solutions by host governments. “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,” they wrote. They also cited concerns about its educational curriculum, which they say promotes antisemitism and glorifies terrorism, adding this has raised “serious questions about the agency’s role in radicalizing Palestinian youth.”
The U.S. and several other countries suspended funding after Israel said it uncovered documentation alleging UNRWA staff participated in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 attacks. Lawmakers said those allegations reinforced broader concerns about neutrality.
They also argued the agency has failed to support stability and long-term security in the region, saying reliance on it has “further entrenched the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
Arab states have also reduced funding in recent years, contributing to a financial crisis. The U.S. has largely bypassed UNRWA since a ceasefire, relying instead on other U.N. agencies and NGOs for aid delivery in Gaza.
The lawmakers urged the administration “to fully dismantle UNRWA and transition its functions to more credible and trusted partners,” including host countries or NGOs “committed to transparency, accountability, and peace.”
