Progressives Call for Biden to Restore Funding to UN Agency Whose Employees Were Accused of Joining Hamas Attacks

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) speaks during a rally in support of the Biden administration's student debt relief plan in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Feb. 28, 2023. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Several progressive U.S. lawmakers are urging the Biden administration to restore funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which the White House halted after employees of the U.N. agency were accused of involvement in the 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel.

Earlier this month, Israeli government authorities presented UNRWA with allegations that as many as 12 of the agency’s employees participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. The U.S. State Department on Jan. 26 announced a temporary pause in U.S. funding to UNRWA, pending a review of the allegations and steps the United Nations will take to address those concerns.