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Senator Bernie Sanders is advocating for the United States and its allies to reinstate funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to avert a growing humanitarian disaster in Gaza. This call comes in response to the US freezing aid due to Israeli allegations that a dozen agency workers were involved in an attack on Israeli civilians on October 7th.

Sanders, known for his critical stance on Israel’s actions in Gaza and the blockade restricting humanitarian supplies, emphasized the necessity of a thorough investigation into the allegations. He reiterated his condemnation of Hamas but stressed the importance of allowing the U.N. to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians. Highlighting the war’s toll, Sanders noted over 26,000 Palestinian casualties, with a significant proportion being women and children. UNRWA, employing over 10,000 workers, plays a crucial role in the region.

Senator Sanders added, “Today, hundreds of thousands of children face starvation and disease. Obviously, it’s not acceptable for any of the 13,000 UNRWA employees in Gaza to be involved with Hamas, and allegations against the 12 people charged must be investigated. However, we cannot allow millions to suffer because of the actions of 12 people.”

Digging Deeper:
Israeli intelligence reports have alleged the involvement of seven UNRWA staff members in the October 7 attack, with two participating in kidnappings. Following these allegations, the U.N. dismissed nine of the 12 accused workers.