UNRWA should be 'dismantled': Trump's pick for UN envoy

WASHINGTON

Mike Waltz, US President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to the UN, said Tuesday that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) must be dismantled.

"UNRWA in Gaza, with its staff involved in the Oct. 7 massacre, its schools teaching antisemitic hate, must be dismantled," Waltz told senators.

Waltz faced lawmakers on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for the first time since his removal as national security adviser after he inadvertently added a journalist to a private Signal chat where sensitive military plans were discussed.

Waltz said UNRWA "simply not only needs to be defunded, which the president has put in place with his executive order, but it should be dismantled," adding that the agency cannot have a humanitarian role in the Gaza Strip.

"We can have a conversation on who and what can take up those humanitarian roles, but it certainly should not be UNRWA," he added.

Israel implemented a ban on UNRWA activities at the end of January. The agency was forced to vacate its main office in occupied East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, and Israeli authorities later ordered the closure of six UNRWA-run schools in the city.

On Oct. 28, 2024, the Israeli Knesset passed two laws barring UNRWA from operating in Israel, revoking its privileges and immunities, and prohibiting formal contact with the agency.

Israel has alleged that the agency employees participated in a Hamas attack in late 2023, an accusation the agency has denied. The UN has reiterated UNRWA’s commitment to neutrality and rejected Israel’s ban, emphasizing the agency’s vital role in delivering humanitarian aid.

As the Israeli war in Gaza intensified, Palestinians have become increasingly dependent on UNRWA, the largest international humanitarian organization serving the population.

Addressing criticism of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, Waltz said he understands the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

"But I will say over and over again, if Hamas would lay down their arms, if they would surrender, if they would stop sacrificing their own people, the fighting would stop today," he added.

When asked whether he will commit to using the American veto to block "one-sided anti-Israel resolutions" at the UN Security Council, Waltz confirmed his commitment.

"Of course, I will work closely with the president and Secretary (of State Marco Rubio) on those votes, but yes, I'll make that commitment," Waltz said.

Waltz said during his opening statement that he plans to make the UN "great again."

The UN needs reform, he said. "First and foremost is we need to drive reform.”