The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has designated over 100 individuals who were employed by or affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) as having worked with Hamas during the infamous October 7th, 2023, terror attacks inside Israel. Now, three former UNRWA affiliates have been proposed by USAID for debarment, meaning that they are forever prohibited from receiving or participating in U.S. federal contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and other covered transactions.

The investigative summary, released on Wednesday by USAID's Office of Inspector General (OIG), describes the three individuals:

USAID OIG, a statutorily independent law enforcement and oversight entity, continues to investigate UNRWA staff linked to Hamas and other U.S. designated terrorist organizations. As part of this ongoing investigation, USAID OIG has referred over 100 current or former UNRWA staff for participation in the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel and/or affiliation with Hamas to the U.S. Department of State for independent review of the evidence and consideration of suspension and/or debarment action. Of those referred, three have recently been proposed for debarment by the Department.  

The individuals proposed for debarment include: 

  • A former UNRWA school teacher and Hamas military operative in the Deir el Balah Battalion, who allegedly engaged in kidnapping operations during the October 7, 2023, terror attacks in Israel.
  • A former UNRWA school teacher, who through Hamas military records, was identified as an operative of the Rafah Brigade of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad who was allegedly in Israel during the October 7 attacks. 
  • A former UNRWA school teacher and Hamas operative for the Deir el Balah Battalion who allegedly received and held civilian hostages beginning on October 7, 2023.

One other was to be referred as well, but he was found to be deceased. 

One other Hamas-associated individual has already been debarred.

This ongoing investigation has already resulted in the government wide debarment of Hafez Mousa Mohammed Mousa, an operative of the Hamas East Jabaliya Battalion, who was found to have coordinated communications with other suspected Hamas members during the October 7 attacks while serving as an UNRWA school principal. That action represented the first known debarment by the U.S. of a terrorist affiliated with a UN agency responsible for humanitarian assistance programming. 

The summary also notes that there are expected to be more debarment referrals and possible criminal referrals to the United States Department of Justice.

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This penalty, basically being sent home with no pay, does not pass Go, does not collect $200, seems unbearably light for someone who participated in or worked in support of the October 7th attacks. But, remember, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Mossad are hunting these goblins down with a determination we haven't seen since the days of Simon Wiesenthal, and for much the same reason. Hamas may not wear swastikas, but that doesn't make them any less an enemy of Israel, and debarment for some of these people may just be the first step in a long, long run of bad luck.

Also, if the United States of America ever needed yet another reason to pull out of the United Nations, then all of the issues surrounding the UNRWA are just one more excellent reason to do just that.