Washington D.C. – The United States government is reportedly considering imposing terror-related sanctions on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), according to sources familiar with the matter. The discussions, said to be at an advanced stage, are raising significant legal and humanitarian concerns within the US State Department.
It remains unclear whether the potential sanctions would target the entire agency, specific UNRWA officials, or particular aspects of its operations. US officials have not yet settled on a specific type of sanction, according to the sources.
One possibility under discussion is designating UNRWA as a “foreign terrorist organization,” a move that would severely isolate the agency financially. However, it is uncertain if this option is still under serious consideration.
Sources directly involved in the discussions expressed concerns about the humanitarian and legal ramifications, given UNRWA’s critical role in assisting displaced Palestinians. Certain politically appointed staff within the State Department, appointed since the beginning of the current administration, are reportedly leading the push for terror-related sanctions. Many career State Department employees, including lawyers responsible for drafting designation decisions, have resisted this approach.
Any broad action against UNRWA could disrupt refugee relief efforts and cripple an agency already facing a funding crisis. Imposing sanctions on UNRWA for terrorism-related reasons would be a shocking and unusual move, considering the United States is a member state and the host country of the United Nations, which established UNRWA in 1949.
DZWatch has reached out to the State Department for comment but has not yet received a response.
William Deere, Director of UNRWA’s Washington office, stated that the agency would be “disappointed” if US officials were indeed discussing designating it as a foreign terrorist organization.
