House Republicans are demanding testimony from the head of a United Nations agency accused of helping Hamas with “food, fuel and supplies” meant for humanitarian aid amid the terror group’s war on Israel.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee sent a letter to the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) on Monday asking about “reports” that his agency funneled “hundreds of millions of dollars” to Hamas and other foreign terrorist organizations.
“Our voters are horrified that their taxpayer dollars may, through the failure of UNRWA, be supporting Hamas terrorists,” the panel’s chairman, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), and members Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Chris Smith (R). -NJ) and Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) wrote.
“Therefore, we ask that you appear before the House Foreign Affairs Committee to answer our questions and address the concerns of the American people. We request that you indicate your willingness and availability to appear before the Committee no later than 24 January 2024.”
House Republicans demanded testimony from Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations agency accused of helping Hamas with “food, fuel and supplies” amid its war on Israel. Getty Images “Our voters are horrified that their taxpayer dollars may, through the failure of UNRWA, be supporting Hamas terrorists,” the panel wrote in its letter to Lazzarini. POOL/AFP via Getty Images
As the largest single donor to the humanitarian agency, the Biden administration has faced serious questions about the use of the funds after Hamas’s invasion of Israel on October 7, when 1,200 people — including 33 US citizens — were killed.
The State Department contributed about $344 million to UNRWA in 2022 under President Biden after the Trump administration cut its funding in 2018, referring to it as “irreparably flawed.”
In total, his administration has provided more than $730 million in US taxpayer money to the organization since January 2021, which provides aid in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Biden, 81, also announced another $100 million aid tranche to UNRWA last October.
“The days of UNWRA bailing on Palestinian grievances and abetting the diversion of humanitarian aid to terrorist support are over,” Issa told The Post in a statement Tuesday.
“We now know that UNWRA is filled with terrorist sympathizers, their facilities have stockpiled rockets for use against civilians and their schools relentlessly teach hatred of Israelis.”
“The days of UNWRA underwriting Palestinian grievances and complicit in the diversion of humanitarian aid to terrorist support are over,” Issa told The Post in a statement Tuesday. Getty Images
The Republican lawmaker noted recent reports from the Israel Defense Forces and the media showing “Hamas terrorists are stealing UNRWA food and supplies intended for humanitarian purposes,” adding that “diversion” to terrorist groups is “not a new problem.”
The Office of the Inspector General of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) issued a report in November saying it “has identified deliberate interventions and efforts to divert humanitarian aid in regions where FTOs [foreign terrorist organization] rampant activity.”
“These include: systemic coercion of aid workers by the FTO; imposition of taxes, duties and fees on USAID awardees and beneficiaries; and the influence of FTOs on the selection of beneficiaries and the management of internally displaced persons camps,” the report said.
The federal monitoring body “identified deliberate interventions and efforts to divert humanitarian aid in regions where FTO [foreign terrorist organization] rampant activity.” AFP via Getty Images
The federal watchdog determined that $100 million in Biden funding was “at high risk for potential diversion” and could “fall into the hands of foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) including, but not limited to, Hamas.”
It threatens further prosecution by the Justice Department if there is any undue scrutiny of grant applications that allow money to flow to terrorism.
Past cases have ended in six- or seven-figure settlements with non-governmental groups that violated US terrorism sanctions.
USAID’s inspector general determined $100 million in Biden funding was “at high risk for potential diversion” and could “fall into the hands of a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).” AFP via Getty Images
UNRWA has also employed teachers who “constantly call for the killing of Jews” and teach from textbooks “that glorify violence, promote martyrdom, insult Israel and incite antisemitism,” according to a joint March 2023 report by the non-governmental organization UN Watch and Israel. Non-profit Monitoring Institute for Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education.
“We also remain concerned by UNRWA’s repeated failure to uphold United Nations standards of neutrality in the agency’s operations in Gaza,” McCaul and his colleagues added in their letter.
“Hamas tunnels have been found suspiciously close to UNRWA schools, as these terrorists continue to use children and their schools as human shields,” they said, citing a report from the Times of Israel.
The House panelists also cited a Jerusalem Post article that revealed one of the 240 hostages taken by Hamas back to Gaza was “held in an UNRWA teacher’s attic.” Getty Images
The House panelists also cited a Jerusalem Post article that revealed one of the 240 hostages taken by Hamas back to Gaza was “held in an UNRWA teacher’s loft” for nearly 50 days before being released to Israel.
An UNRWA spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
