Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack on Israel was grossly evil and repulsive, but one particularly devious element remains hidden: the connection between Hamas and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The United Nations (UN) formed this agency to provide relief to the Palestinian refugees from the 1948 War of Independence, which began when five Arab nations attempted to destroy the newly formed State of Israel, which survived the onslaught and won the war.

Currently, UNRWA has 13,000 employees in Gaza, predominantly Palestinians, with a smaller portion of international staff. This combination provides an inevitable advantage for Hamas, as expressed by Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s commissioner general, when interviewed by The New York Times in February: “Our employees are part of the social fabric of Gaza and its ecosystem. And as part of the social fabric in Gaza, you have also Hamas.” Lazzarini’s statement, while not admitting to Hamas using UNRWA for its terrorist agenda, clearly suggests that possibility. Ranoosh Salah, a UNRWA staff member, called the October 7 attack “an unforgettable glorious morning,” demonstrating the likelihood of the UNRWA-Hamas connection.

UNRWA Teachers Affiliated with Hamas

For decades, the Gazans’ education, managed by UNRWA, has included strongly antisemitic materials and fundamentalist Islamic ideology. This teaching indoctrinates children to hate Jews and prepares them to become terrorists who kill Jews. In this way, UNRWA supports Hamas’ terrorism rather than maintaining peaceful coexistence and meeting the genuine humanitarian needs of Gaza’s Palestinian population.

In January, Israel alleged that 12 UNRWA employees and UNRWA facilities and vehicles were involved in the October 7 assault and that a significant portion of UNRWA staff were associated with Hamas. These allegations were generally dismissed, yet released captives have confirmed UNRWA staff’s complicity. Eighty-four-year-old Ditza Hayman stated that an UNRWA teacher and Hamas member held her hostage. A recording of UNRWA teachers published by IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari revealed that these teachers infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7 massacre, and one of them bragged that he had “captured Judaism.” In July, Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer declared, “The latest information we have sent gives the names of over 100 UNRWA individuals who are also members of Hamas.”

Hamas’s Use of UNRWA Facilities

Prior to the October 7 attack, Hamas’s use of civilian facilities for its terrorist activities was well known. Rockets are commonly fired from schools, hospitals, and mosques. UNRWA runs both schools and hospitals, seemingly powerless to prevent Hamas from their use. Is this an agreed or forced arrangement?

The discovery of tunnels under UNRWA schools and caches of weapons in UNRWA buildings solidifies the claims that the organization is complicit with Hamas.

More concrete evidence of the UNRWA and Hamas’s complicity became known after Israel entered Gaza in response to the murderous, barbaric October 7 attack. The discovery of tunnels under UNRWA schools and caches of weapons in UNRWA buildings solidifies the claims that the organization is complicit with Hamas. UNRWA buildings are used as Hamas control centers, and other locations are used for firing on Israeli soldiers.

UNRWA’s Misuse of Finances

UNRWA has received billions of dollars in funding to support its supposed humanitarian activities in Gaza in recent years. One would expect the money would provide visible change for the good of the Gazan population, and yet it appears Gaza has experienced minimal improvement for decades. Where is the money going? One possibility is that the transfer of funds using Hamas’s money changers enables them to skim a significant portion from each transfer to fund their terrorist agenda.

Rather than building new schools, hospitals, housing, and other infrastructural improvements, around $1 billion was siphoned to build tunnels, purchase weapons and munitions, and prepare for the October 7 massacre.

Rather than building new schools, hospitals, housing, and other infrastructural improvements, around $1 billion was siphoned to build tunnels, purchase weapons and munitions, and prepare for the October 7 massacre. More than 100 Israelis have the basis of a lawsuit against UNRWA as being complicit in genocide due to its obvious support for Hamas.

UNRWA’s Exploitation of Refugees in Gaza

Two other realities make this relationship difficult to break. The UNRWA’s definition of a refugee is flexible and allows the refugee status to be applied to all Gazan Palestinians descended from the original group in 1948, which is contrary to other refugee settings. This perpetuates and inflates the refugee population in Gaza without transforming it, as has occurred elsewhere. This creates a constant humanitarian need. Hamas takes advantage of this status for its own ends, which UNRWA sustains. Furthermore, UNRWA enjoys immunity from legal proceedings as an agency of the UN, which restricts efforts to hold its employees accountable.

Gazan Palestinians need a genuine aid organization committed to meeting their humanitarian needs, not one complicit with Hamas. UNRWA should be disbanded and replaced with an agency protected against extreme Islamic ideology, one that will serve the Gazan Palestinian population rather than terrorist groups.

Photo Credit: U.S. Department of State

About the Author

Les Crawford

Les is the Field Director for The Friends of Israel Australia, a ministry representative and office manager in Adelaide, Australia.