A former UNRWA school principal named Hafez Mousa Mohammed Mousa had three anti-tank positions and a tunnel shaft hidden underneath his school. He was also a Hamas operative in the East Jabaliya Battalion. The U.S. government just debarred him — the first known debarment of a terrorist affiliated with a United Nations humanitarian agency.
He wasn't the only one on the payroll.
The USAID Office of Inspector General released an investigative summary revealing that 101 current or former UNRWA employees have been referred for suspension or debarment for direct participation in the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks or affiliation with Hamas's military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades. The total number of subjects referred to date has reached 108. The referrals were transmitted to the U.S. Department of State with a recommendation that all 101 be barred from participating in U.S.-funded aid programs for ten years.
These weren't janitors who got swept up in something. The referred employees include school principals, deputy school principals, teachers, security personnel, psychosocial counselors, and medical professionals. People entrusted with educating children and providing humanitarian care were simultaneously holding military ranks in a designated terrorist organization.
The specifics from the OIG report read like a terrorist org chart. Two deputy school principals served in senior positions in the Al-Qassam Brigades — one as a deputy company commander in the Ain Gallout 5th Infantry Battalion, the other as a squad leader in the Khan Younis Brigade's 2nd Infantry Battalion. Another deputy principal was a platoon commander in the Nuseirat Battalion with communications responsibilities during the October 7 massacre on Israel. One teacher received orders to deliver two anti-tank missiles to a prescribed location for use in the attack.
Another referred employee worked in Hamas's chemical department — military manufacturing. One was a sniper. A former school teacher in the Deir el Balah Battalion allegedly engaged in kidnapping operations during October 7, receiving and holding civilian hostages.
"USAID OIG has referred 100+ current or former UNRWA staff for participation in the October 7 terrorist attacks and/or affiliation with Hamas to the Dept. of State for suspension and/or debarment action," the agency stated. Criminal referrals to the Department of Justice are anticipated.
The usual defense from UNRWA's institutional allies goes something like this: with 13,000 employees in Gaza, a few bad actors are statistically inevitable. Which is an interesting argument to make about an agency where school principals doubled as battalion commanders and teachers were delivering anti-tank missiles on the morning of a massacre. That's not a vetting failure. That's a staffing pipeline.
The OIG's stated objective was to "ensure that U.S.-funded humanitarian assistance in Gaza does not fall into the hands of Hamas and other foreign terrorist organizations." Which presupposes the assistance wasn't already in their hands from the moment the paychecks cleared. When your deputy principals are running infantry units and your teachers are hauling ordnance, the money didn't "fall into" terrorist hands. It was handed to them biweekly with benefits.
Israel had been saying this for years. Western governments called it an exaggeration. Now the U.S. government's own inspector general has confirmed it — not with intelligence estimates or anonymous sources, but with names, ranks, battalion assignments, and specific actions taken on October 7.
One hundred and one employees. Platoon commanders. Snipers. Kidnappers. Missile couriers. All drawing salaries from an agency that depends on contributions from countries like the United States to operate.
The UN calls it a humanitarian mission. The org chart says otherwise.
