A bipartisan group of House lawmakers are urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to demand the resignation of the leaders of the United Nations and its agency for Palestinian refugees over their handling of the Israel-Hamas war. 

The demand, which was outlined in a letter, comes just weeks after Israel accused staffers at the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency of being involved in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. 

What You Need To Know

  • A bipartisan group of House lawmakers are urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to demand the resignation of the leaders of the United Nations and its agency for Palestinian refugees over their handling of the Israel-Hamas war 
  • The demand, which was outlined in a letter, comes just weeks after Israel accused staffers at the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency of being involved in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

  • The lawmakers went on to describe the recent allegations against United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) as “appalling,” and called for the agency to replace all senior leadership and the U.S. to work with other Group of Seven members to investigate Hamas’ involvement with the group

  • The U.S. temporarily suspended funding to UNRWA following the allegations but whether or not to restore it has been a source of friction on Capitol Hill 

Twelve House members on both sides of the aisle accused the U.N. of “repeatedly and pervasively” failing to denounce Hamas’ attack. 

“We have lost all confidence in Secretary-General António Guterres’ ability to ensure that the UN is not actively supporting terrorism or giving refuge to known terrorists,” the letter reads. 

The lawmakers went on to describe the recent allegations against United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) as “appalling,” and called for the agency to replace all senior leadership and the U.S. to work with other Group of Seven members to investigate Hamas’ involvement with the group. 

“Therefore, we ask you to demand that Secretary-General Guterres and UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini immediately resign from their posts,” the lawmakers said. “They can no longer be entrusted to maintain international peace and security, protect all nations, and uphold international law.” 

The House members who signed onto the letter were Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., Bradley Schneider, D-Ill., Brian Mast, R-Fla., Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., Max Miller, R-Ohio, Haley Stevens, D-Mich., Don Davis, D-N.C., Michelle Steel, R-Calif., Don Bacon, R-Neb.

In the immediate aftermath of the allegations against UNRWA, the U.S. temporarily suspended its funding to the agency. Asked about future U.S. funding of the body, Biden administration officials have said they are going to let the investigation announced by the UN play out. 

“It’s imperative that, as the U.N. has said it’s doing, that there be a thorough investigation, that there be clear accountability, and that there be clear measures put in place to make sure that this can’t happen again,” Blinken said during a press conference in Tel Aviv on Wednesday. 

“We know that the work that UNRWA performs, the functions that it performs, have to be preserved because so many lives are depending on it.  And so going forward, we’re going to look to the actions that are taken,” he added. 

But the decision of whether the U.S. should continue providing financial support to the agency – which has been the largest aid provider to people in Gaza – has been a source of friction on Capitol Hill. 

Several progressive lawmakers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. and Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. have called on President Joe Biden to restore funding to the agency. Such lawmakers have noted that relief provided by the body is a lifeline to people in Gaza and particularly amid the humanitarian crisis playing out due to the war – something that has already concerned many progressives. 

“Obviously, it’s not acceptable for any of the 13,000 UNRWA employees in Gaza to be involved with Hamas, and allegations against the 12 people charged must be investigated,” Sanders said in a statement. “However, we cannot allow millions to suffer because of the actions of 12 people. The U.S. and other countries must restore funding to stave off this humanitarian catastrophe.”

On the other hand, following the accusations, a Republican lawmaker, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., introduced a bill to permanently bar U.S. funding to the agency. 

The foreign aid supplemental funding package in the Senate – that provided aid to Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific as well as humanitarian aid to those in Gaza – included a provision that would block its money from going to UNRWA.