A bloc of Republican senators is pressing President Donald Trump to take tougher action against a controversial United Nations agency tied to aid operations in Gaza, arguing the organization has been compromised by alleged links to Hamas.
According to the New York Post, Sen. Tom Cotton is leading 24 GOP lawmakers in urging the president to “fully dismantle UNRWA” and remove the agency from the broader UN budget, according to a letter sent Monday.
The lawmakers pointed to recent findings from a federal watchdog involving employees of the UN Relief and Works Agency, commonly known as UNRWA, who were allegedly connected to Hamas or participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack in Israel.
“Any aid organization in Gaza or otherwise must be demonstrably free of ties to terrorism and committed to transparency, accountability, and peace,” the Republicans wrote.
“We must ensure the failed system doesn’t continue reinforcing the conditions that have fueled terrorism for generations. The time to act is now.”
President Donald Trump previously signed an executive order in February 2025 halting direct US funding to the agency after growing scrutiny over the allegations.
During the Biden administration, UNRWA reportedly received up to $1.5 billion in American funding.
Congressional appropriators are also considering a proposal to slash total UN funding by $1.8 billion this year. The proposal would additionally block taxpayer money from going to organizations that refuse to cooperate with investigations tied to UNRWA.
Even with the direct funding freeze, the senators argued the US still indirectly supports the agency through broader contributions to the United Nations. Roughly $70 million from the UN’s annual budget reportedly goes toward UNRWA operations.
The United Nations has also requested billions more this year as part of a larger recovery and reconstruction package for Gaza.
Federal watchdog investigators have been examining whether US taxpayer money connected to the agency could have been diverted to terror-linked activities.
A previous investigative summary from the US Agency for International Development Office of Inspector General stated that 21 UNRWA staff members had been flagged for suspension or debarment from receiving further US funds.
According to the summary, the employees included school principals, teachers, and social workers accused of either participating in or facilitating the Oct. 7 attack.
The unnamed staffers were “alleged to have participated in the holding of civilian hostages kidnapped from Israel and/or the terrorist activities in Israel on October 7, 2023,” the April 30 summary stated.
Sources familiar with the matter also said the Department of Justice and the FBI have been examining claims that UNRWA employees assisted Hamas.
In their letter, the senators further alleged that UNRWA facilities had been used by Hamas to store weapons and conceal tunnel infrastructure.
