Secretary of State Marco Rubio made clear Friday that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, an organization with Hamas fighters in its ranks, will not play a role in delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Rubio said UNRWA will have no involvement in distributing humanitarian aid as part of the U.S.-brokered cease-fire to halt the two-year long war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
“UNRWA’s not going to play any role in it,” Rubio said.
“The United Nations is here. They’re on the ground. We’re willing to work with them if they can make it work, but not UNRWA. UNRWA became a subsidiary of Hamas,” Rubio added.
The Trump administration withdrew the U.S. from UNRWA earlier this year because of the embattled agency’s ties to Hamas. A U.N. investigation last year found that nine UNRWA staffers likely participated in the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks on Israel. Hamas fighters killed over 1,200 civilians and abducted over 250 hostages on October 7, starting the war in Gaza that lasted for two years.
Israel has barred UNRWA from operating in the Jewish state because of its apparent ties to Hamas. But the U.N. is still supportive of UNRWA’s aid work in Gaza even though it has been engulfed in scandal.
In a social media post, UNRWA demanded that it be allowed to do humanitarian work in Gaza and take advantage of its existing network.
“As the largest UN agency operating in the #Gaza Strip, by far, UNRWA has an unparalleled logistical network, longstanding trust from the community, managing the distribution of supplies based on vulnerability and clear criteria,” UNRWA posted on X.
“Our teams are ready, inside and outside Gaza. Let us work,”
Rubio clarified that other non-governmental organizations would be overseeing the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
“We’re seeing the work they’re doing, the World Food Programme. There’s also nonprofit NGOs, humanitarian assistance organizations that are involved in this, Samaritan’s Purse. It’s a conglomeration of about eight to twelve groups that are here,” Rubio said from the U.S. Civil Military Coordination Center in southern Israel administering the cease-fire.
U.S. Central Command opened the coordination center last week after the U.S.-brokered cease-fire between Israel and Hamas began, although not without hiccups. As part of the deal, Hamas returned the living hostages in its captivity after two years of torment and suffering. Israel sent back hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the 20 hostages.
Delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza is one aspect of Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza and rebuild the area. The landmark cease-fire deal is now in phase two, despite both sides accusing each other of violating the deal.