US Will Not Resume UNRWA Aid Until Investigation is Completed – Officials, Reuters

By Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON – The Biden administration has decided to hold off on resuming aid to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees until an internal investigation concludes, according to U.S. officials who spoke to Arab-American community leaders in Michigan.

On Thursday, U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power and other senior officials visited Michigan, a critical state for the 2024 elections, amid growing criticism of President Joe Biden’s stance on Israel. Concerns include his failure to call for a ceasefire regarding the attacks on Gaza and his continued military support for Israel.

During discussions, officials emphasized the U.S. commitment to providing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people but reiterated that any aid to the agency would depend on the completion of the investigation into the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Ali Dagher, a Lebanese-American attorney involved in the discussions in Dearborn, a city with a significant Arab-American population, reported that Power elaborated on UNRWA but did not suggest any imminent reversal of the decision to suspend aid.

The suspension of funding by sixteen countries followed allegations from Israel that 12 out of UNRWA’s 13,000 employees in Gaza participated in the Hamas-led attacks on Israel last autumn. UNRWA officials have indicated that they expect the preliminary investigation report from the U.N. oversight office to take several weeks.

In a separate meeting with reporters, Abbas Alawieh, a former congressional staffer who also participated in the discussions, mentioned that U.S. officials acknowledged “mistakes and missteps” in handling the situation. However, there was no commitment to advocate for a ceasefire, even privately, on behalf of the administration. Alawieh noted that the officials anticipated a change in the president’s messaging but stressed that the community was seeking decisive action to save lives, rather than just shifts in language.

The military offensive initiated by Israel followed a deadly assault by militants from Gaza on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the capture of 253 hostages. The health ministry in Gaza reports that at least 27,940 Palestinians have been killed, with nearly 70,000 injured and thousands more trapped under rubble. A brief ceasefire occurred for one week at the end of November.