The United Nations’ internal investigation into whether its staff at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) participated in Hamas’s October 7 massacre was undermined from the start, according to an independent review by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) inspector general.
The probe, conducted in 2024 and examining 19 UNRWA employees, concluded that evidence against nine individuals was “insufficient” to prove their involvement in the terror attacks. However, the USAID report found the investigation set an impossibly high burden of proof and disregarded critical intelligence from Israeli sources that linked staff members to Hamas’s military operations.
A Western diplomat described the U.N. probe as a “complete cover-up,” stating: “They ignored the obvious, glaring linkages between UNRWA staff and Hamas. Their report gave the [U.N.] Secretary General cover to hide behind a so-called investigation and hope the world would move right along.”
The USAID inspector general identified several major deficiencies in the United Nations’ Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) probe. Among them was its decision to ignore whether any staff were card-carrying Hamas members, focusing instead on direct participation in the October 7 attacks. This narrow scope made it difficult to identify UNRWA employees who had joined Hamas.
The report also found that OIOS rejected intercepted communications from Israeli intelligence—such as audio recordings and cell phone data—that connected staff to Hamas because the information could not be “independently confirmed.” The USAID inspector general concluded this approach was flawed, noting the materials presented by Israel would be considered “collected enemy materials” and thus impossible for anyone to independently authenticate.
The U.N. agency has since launched an ongoing investigation into UNRWA staff suspected of ties to Hamas’s military wing, which has led to the termination of 70 employees. However, the report warns that without robust vetting protocols, these individuals could re-enter U.S.-funded aid programs.
In response to the findings, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) demanded transparency from the United Nations and pressed for steps to ensure U.S. taxpayer dollars are not used to fund Hamas or terrorist groups. The State Department has stated it will no longer provide funding to UNRWA, calling it “totally infiltrated by Hamas and terrorist sympathizers.”