UNRWA dismissed 70 staff members this week after Israeli authorities and the NGO UN Watch accused some employees of links to Hamas. USAID separately referred 101 current or former UNRWA staff to the U.S. State Department for potential suspension or debarment related to the October 7 attacks. UN Watch says it has documented extensive alleged infiltration; UNRWA says the dismissals were made to protect refugees and notes Israel has not publicly provided evidence. The UNRWA staff union calls the move unjust without a transparent investigation.
UNRWA Dismisses 70 Staff After Israeli and NGO Allegations of Hamas Links
A PALESTINIAN man walks past the building of the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City on January 8, 2018. (photo credit: MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images)
Seventy employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) were dismissed this week after Israeli authorities and the watchdog group UN Watch accused some staff of links to Hamas. The action follows a separate move by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which referred 101 current or former UNRWA staff members to the U.S. State Department for possible suspension or debarment related to the October 7 attacks.
Claims and Responses
UN Watch's executive director, Hillel Neuer, said his organisation has documented what it describes as deep infiltration of UNRWA by Hamas, pointing to a "UNRWA Terror Network" map that the group says identifies roughly 400 alleged operatives and claiming thousands more across the agency. Neuer urged donor countries to end funding and called for UNRWA to be shut down.
UNRWA issued an official statement saying the personnel actions were taken "to mitigate safety and security risks for the refugees the Agency serves." The agency also emphasized that Israel had not provided public evidence to substantiate the accusations and that dismissals should not be interpreted as definitive proof of wrongdoing.
Displaced Palestinians shelter at a UNRWA school in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 18, 2026. (credit: ABED RAHIM KHATIB/FLASH 90)
“Our sustained documentation of UNRWA’s deep infiltration by Hamas ... together with the USAID Inspector General, has finally forced the agency’s hand,” said Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch.
The UNRWA staff union condemned the firings, arguing that taking such steps without a fair and transparent investigation would violate principles of justice. The union demanded reversals of the decisions and said it would remain in continuous session to monitor developments and to defend employees’ rights and dignity.
What This Means
The dismissals and the USAID referral intensify scrutiny of UNRWA at a time of heightened tensions following the October 7 events. The allegations are serious and politically charged; UN Watch and Israeli statements present one narrative, while UNRWA and its staff union stress due process and the absence of publicly presented evidence from Israel. International donors and the U.N. system now face pressure to review oversight, accountability and the future of the agency’s operations.
Reporting note: Danielle Greyman-Kennard contributed to this report.
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