Documentary exposing UNRWA corruption, Hamas involvement, screened for United Nations diplomats

“In recent years, the State of Israel has demonstrated that UNRWA has long served as an extended arm of the terrorist organization Hamas,” Danny Danon, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, said.

A delegation of diplomats at the United Nations attended a screening of the documentary UNravelling UNRWA, which reportedly exposed corruption and Hamas infiltration of UNRWA, on Monday.

“In recent years, Israel has presented extensive evidence of Hamas's infiltration and exploitation of UNRWA's facilities and operations,” Danny Danon, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, said.

Danon claimed that UNRWA schools had disseminated incitement material, that UNRWA members had actively participated in the October 7 massacre, and that weapons had been discovered within its facilities in Gaza.

“The truth about UNRWA is coming to light,” he said in a post on X/Twitter after the documentary was screened.

Jeff Bartos, US Ambassador to the UN, said that "UNRWA has no future in Gaza.

"I have personally worked on this issue for more than 30 years. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, and that is exactly the story of UNRWA," Bartos said.

"President Trump's peace plan and Resolution 2803, adopted by the UN Security Council, offer a better future for the people of Gaza. I want to thank Ambassador Danon for initiating the screening of this important documentary about UNRWA."

The documentary is based on archival materials and interviews, including with former UNRWA leaders such as Scott Anderson and Peter Hansen, and won the Best Investigative Film Award at the 2025 Haifa film festival.

UNRWA dismisses employees accused of Hamas affiliation

In June, UNRWA dismissed 70 employees after Israel and the NGO UN Watch accused them of being affiliated with Hamas.

Earlier that month, USAID announced that it had referred 101 current or former UNRWA staff members to the US State Department for suspension or disbarment over their role in the October 7 massacre and/or affiliation with Hamas.

“Our sustained documentation of UNRWA’s deep infiltration by Hamas - including our UNRWA Terror Network map identifying at least 400 culprits - together with the USAID Inspector General, has finally forced the agency’s hand,” Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch, stated.

UNRWA's official announcement stated that the action was taken "to mitigate safety and security risks for the refugees the Agency serves."