Hamas’s Grip on UNRWA Education: A Concerning Control
Recent investigations have shed light on how Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, has significantly infiltrated and controlled the education system operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Gaza and Lebanon. A comprehensive 220-page report titled “Schools in the Grip of Terror: How UNRWA Allowed Hamas Chiefs to Control Its Education System,” published by the independent watchdog organization UN Watch, details this concerning takeover that has raised alarms among international observers and policymakers.
The report meticulously documents how Hamas has effectively hijacked UNRWA’s educational infrastructure through strategic domination of local UNRWA staff unions, particularly the teachers’ sectors. This control has allowed Hamas to exert influence over the physical school facilities, teaching staff, and curriculum content. More troublingly, this influence has reportedly enabled Hamas to block UNRWA’s attempts to de-radicalize the curriculum, prevent disciplinary actions against staff who incite antisemitism and promote extremist ideologies, and place Hamas operatives in senior educational positions. The systematic nature of this takeover suggests a deliberate strategy to use educational institutions as platforms for indoctrination and influence, rather than centers for neutral humanitarian education as intended by the United Nations and international donors.
Specific examples highlighted in the report illustrate the extent of Hamas’s control over UNRWA’s education system. One particularly telling case involved the expulsion of Matthias Schmale, a senior international staff member who headed UNRWA’s Gaza operation in 2021. According to UN Watch, Schmale was forced out in less than ten days after making what was perceived as a pro-Israel remark in a media interview. This expulsion was allegedly orchestrated by Amir Al-Mishal, then head of the UNRWA Gaza Staff Union, in coordination with his predecessor Suhail Al-Hindi. The report notes that Al-Hindi had publicly appeared with Hamas terrorist leaders for years while employed by UNRWA, yet the agency reportedly refused to terminate his employment despite these documented connections. Another concerning case involves Fateh Sharif, who simultaneously served as the head of the UNRWA Lebanon Teachers’ Union and as a senior leader of Hamas in Lebanon, demonstrating the overlap between UNRWA educational leadership and Hamas political structures.
The U.S. government’s response to these revelations has been decisive. A State Department spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital that “The Administration has determined UNRWA is irredeemably compromised and now seeks its full dismantlement along with the return of remaining unspent funds.” This position aligns with President Trump’s February 4 Executive Order, which highlighted that “UNRWA has reportedly been infiltrated by members of groups long designated by the Secretary of State as foreign terrorist organizations, and UNRWA employees were involved in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.” The spokesperson emphasized that “President Trump and Secretary Rubio have long stated that Hamas will never govern Gaza again. That includes institutions they have infiltrated to sustain their power and influence.” This stance represents a significant shift in U.S. policy toward UNRWA, with the government stopping funding to the agency due to its alleged support for Hamas terrorists.
Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, framed the findings in stark terms: “For years governments have been writing billion-dollar checks to UNRWA believing they were investing in peace and tolerance. Our investigation reveals the shocking truth: UNRWA’s classrooms have been hijacked by Hamas and turned into incubators of hate. Donor states must confront the reality that they are financing terror by proxy.” This characterization suggests that international donors have unwittingly supported an educational system that, rather than promoting peace and coexistence, may have been fostering extremist ideologies and supporting terrorist organizations. The report comes amid a series of scandals involving UNRWA, including allegations that dozens of the agency’s employees participated in the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people, including Israelis and Americans.
UNRWA, for its part, has strongly contested the report’s findings. Juliette Touma, a spokeswoman for the agency, told Fox News Digital that “This report is part of a disinformation campaign that this organization, the so-called UN watchdog, has been launching against UNRWA for years now. Their reporting is full of unsubstantiated claims and clearly aims at destroying the agency which, at its heart, has provided education and health care in place where no one else actually wants to work with a group of people that is one of the most vulnerable in the region.” Touma further dismissed the report by claiming that most cases referenced were already known to UNRWA and had been investigated, with the “vast majority” found to be “unsubstantiated.” This response highlights the contested nature of the allegations and the complex political context in which UNRWA operates, serving vulnerable populations in highly volatile regions while facing accusations of institutional compromise by terrorist organizations.
