US Accuses UN Relief Agencies of Blocking Hamas Probe and Demands UNRWA Shutdown

In December 2025 the USAID Office of Inspector General mailed six United Nations agencies that provide humanitarian aid in Gaza, demanding comprehensive employee lists, birth details and any contacts with Hamas. Months later, only partial or no replies have been received, prompting senior State Department officials to call the UN’s non-cooperation unacceptable. The investigation, dubbed Operation Stop the Carousel, has already uncovered at least 100 Hamas members paid by UNRWA and has expanded to target roughly 1,500 UNRWA-linked individuals.

U.S. diplomats, including a senior American diplomat and a Board of Peace official, warned the UN to sever ties with what they describe as a “cancerous” UNRWA if it wants a role in Gaza reconstruction. Senators Ted Cruz and Chuck Grassley have cited the findings in hearings and legislation that condition future U.S. aid on compliance. Several UN bodies—World Food Programme, UN Development Programme, OCHA, UNICEF, International Organization for Migration and WHO—have either not responded or provided limited information, while the UN’s own internal probe dismissed key evidence linking staff to Hamas. The dispute reflects escalating U.S. pressure to curtail UNRWA’s operations and reallocate humanitarian assistance.