Bipartisan House Bill Seeks Permanent Dismantling of UNRWA

Lawmakers propose transferring humanitarian operations to accountable agencies after investigators linked more than 100 current or former UNRWA employees to Hamas or the October 7 massacre

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Worthy News) – A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced legislation requiring the Trump administration to develop and implement a plan to dismantle the United Nations agency responsible for Palestinian refugees while transferring its humanitarian responsibilities to more accountable organizations.

Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) introduced the Replace UNRWA with Real Humanitarian Assistance Act, which would direct the State Department to coordinate with U.S. allies on permanently winding down the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

The legislation comes amid mounting evidence that UNRWA employees participated in the Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, or maintained affiliations with the terrorist organization.

Transition Designed to Protect Humanitarian Aid

Under the bill, the secretary of state would have 180 days to submit a comprehensive strategy identifying the governmental agencies, international organizations, or nongovernmental groups capable of assuming UNRWA’s responsibilities.

The plan would include a timetable for dismantling the agency, funding arrangements, safeguards against disrupting essential services, and measures to ensure humanitarian assistance reaches Palestinian civilians rather than Hamas.

Implementation would be required to begin within one year after the strategy is submitted.

“UNRWA has repeatedly failed to meet the basic standards of accountability and neutrality that the international community should expect from any humanitarian organization,” Lawler said.

He cited reports of employees connected to terrorist organizations and educational materials promoting antisemitism and violence, while stressing that replacing UNRWA should not interrupt legitimate humanitarian assistance.

“Aid should feed families, not fund terror,” Gottheimer said, calling for a responsible transition to organizations capable of delivering assistance without empowering Hamas.

The legislation was publicly announced by Lawler’s office on July 15.

More Than 100 UNRWA Personnel Referred for Action

A June investigative summary from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of Inspector General said its continuing investigation had produced suspension or debarment referrals involving 108 current or former UNRWA personnel.

Investigators found evidence indicating that the individuals had participated in the October 7 terrorist attacks, maintained Hamas affiliations, or both. Those investigated reportedly included teachers, school administrators, security personnel, medical workers, counselors, and other agency employees.

The findings have strengthened arguments that the problem inside UNRWA is institutional rather than limited to a handful of rogue employees.

“This is not a case of a few bad apples,” Yoni Tobin, senior policy analyst at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, told JNS. “It’s a case of a rotten tree.”

Tobin said the legislation provides a practical roadmap for turning the administration’s opposition to UNRWA into lasting U.S. policy.

Agency Accused of Perpetuating Refugee Crisis

Unlike the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, UNRWA does not have a mandate to permanently resettle refugees or pursue durable solutions to their status.

The agency has instead allowed refugee status to pass from one generation to the next, causing its registered population to expand dramatically since the U.N. General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949.

Critics argue that the system has helped perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by encouraging generations of Palestinians to believe they will eventually exercise a mass “right of return” inside Israel.

David May, a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said UNRWA has preserved Palestinians “as refugees and political pawns” rather than helping them move beyond the conflict.

May said the agency should be dismantled gradually so that essential services can be transferred to competent humanitarian organizations without abandoning civilians who rely upon them.

The legislation has received support from organizations including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and Christians United for Israel Action Fund.

Trump Administration Cut U.S. Funding

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February 2025 barring federal agencies from providing financial support to UNRWA.

Supporters of the new legislation say an executive order alone is not sufficient because a future administration could reverse the policy and foreign governments could continue financing the agency.

The bill would instead establish a coordinated international strategy to replace UNRWA and prevent Hamas from exploiting humanitarian institutions for military or ideological purposes.

Tobin said the United States must use the present opportunity to secure support from international partners while Hamas remains weakened and Washington is actively pursuing a future for Gaza without UNRWA.

For Israel and its supporters, the central issue is no longer whether humanitarian aid should reach Palestinian civilians. It is whether the international community will continue entrusting that mission to an organization repeatedly accused of sheltering terrorists, promoting hatred, and sustaining a conflict it was supposedly created to relieve.

Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.

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