Congress managed to avoid a government shutdown thanks to the last-minute support from several Republican senators. The agreement reached between both sides grants the Biden administration the possibility of financing federal agencies and international organizations until September, but not a single dollar will be granted to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) until at least March 25, 2025.
This ban comes after accusations emerged regarding collaboration of several UNRWA employees in the attacks carried out by the Hamas terrorist group against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. An investigation into these allegations is already underway.
Several days ago, several members of Congress and the Biden Administration studied the possibility of temporarily suspending UNRWA funding. This news was confirmed after the approval of the budget bill.
Israel applauds the decision
From Israel, the news was welcomed with open arms. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz applauded the temporary defunding of UNRWA and thanked Democratic and Republican leaders in both the House of Representatives and the Senate for moving forward with a "historic" decision:
The historic ban on U.S. funding to @UNRWA that passed today with an overwhelming bipartisan support, demonstrates what we knew all along: UNRWA is part of the problem and can not be part of the solution. UNRWA will not be a part of Gaza's landscape in the aftermath of Hamas.…
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) March 23, 2024
