House committee to launch investigation into UN agency for alleged ‘troubling connection’ to Hamas

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform has announced that it will launch an investigation into the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for the Palestinian Refugees in the Near East, known as UNRWA, for allegations that it has been providing support to a militant-associated organization affiliated with the Gaza-based group Hamas. The US House committee said in a statement that it was launching the investigation to “examine UNRWA’s troubling connection with Hamas and its direct and indirect roles in providing political, financial, and ideological support to members of the terrorist organization.” The congressional investigation will examine UNRWA’s management and procurement practices, particularly with regard to hiring, as well as its actions in Palestinian refugee camps. The committee has requested documentation from the UNRWA Secretariat in New York, as well as data from other public and private entities to assist it in its investigation. The committee has also called for witnesses to testify before the committee regarding UNRWA’s activities in support of Hamas. It is expected that the testimony of these witnesses will help Congress better understand the organization’s relationship with Hamas. The committee’s investigation is expected to last several months and may result in legislative action if it finds evidence of wrongdoing.