The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) dismissed a Gaza school principal accused of participating in the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, JNS reported.
The principal was identified as Hafez Mousa Mohammed Mousa, who was recently blacklisted by the administration of US President Donald Trump.
“Upon the allegations made against Mr. Mousa by the Israeli authorities, on April 16, 2024, UNRWA immediately placed him on administrative leave without pay," UNRWA spokesman Jonathan Fowler told JNS. “Upon completion of the Office of Internal Oversight Services investigation, his appointment was terminated on Aug. 20, 2024."
An investigative summary released in late February by the Office of Inspector General of the US Agency for International Development found what it described as conclusive evidence that Mousa participated in the October 7 attacks as a captain in Hamas’s East Jabaliya Battalion.
The watchdog agency, which operates independently of the State Department and oversees US foreign aid, said Mousa “coordinated communications with other suspected Hamas members during the Oct. 7 attacks while serving as an UNRWA school principal."
According to The Washington Free Beacon, citing the State Department, Mousa closed his UNRWA school early on October 7 and contacted at least 20 Hamas terrorists, instructing them to infiltrate Israel “with cars and weapons."
A source familiar with the inspector general’s investigation said investigators asked UNRWA to provide the names of employees who had been dismissed for links to terrorism.
According to the source, UNRWA refused to provide that information or disclose the names of staff members who participated in the October 7 attacks and obstructed the inspector general’s work.
As a result, the State Department, which absorbed USAID last year, informed UNRWA that Mousa had been placed on the US government blacklist and would be barred from participating in American foreign aid programs for ten years.
UNRWA has long been criticized for its cooperation with the Hamas terrorist organization, which has been proven time and time again. That criticism has increased since Israel provided evidence in 2024 that UNRWA staff participated in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.
Following the Israeli revelations, the UN formed a review group, headed by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, to look into the Israeli allegations. The group said in its report that it found neutrality-related issues" in UNRWA but also claimed that Israel had yet to provide evidence for allegations that a significant number of its staff were members of terrorist organizations.
Despite all the evidence showing UNRWA’s deep ties to Hamas, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) recently ruled that Israel must facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip through UN agencies, including UNRWA. That ruling was criticized by Israel as well as by the US.