A U.S. government watchdog is widening its investigation into alleged links between staff at a United Nations aid agency and Hamas, including possible involvement in the October 7th massacre.
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the now-defunct U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is examining more than 100 employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) over suspected ties to Hamas or direct participation in the October 7th massacre, according to officials familiar with the probe.
The New York Post reports that investigators have so far identified at least 14 UNRWA employees with connections to Hamas. Two additional staff members have been referred for debarment, which would bar them from receiving U.S. funding, while one former employee has already been permanently excluded from federal support.
The investigation is ongoing, and officials say the list of individuals under scrutiny continues to grow. USAID’s deputy inspector general is expected to present findings from these investigations to members of Congress, arguing that the watchdog remains essential despite the agency’s closure and ongoing proposals to fold its responsibilities into the State Department.