How Hamas Infiltrated UNRWA
Drawing on newly declassified intelligence, a sweeping report reveals how Hamas embedded over 1,400 operatives in UNRWA—including school principals, medical staff, and administrators
A sweeping research report released in April 2025 by Israeli authorities exposes a staggering scale of Hamas infiltration into the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Gaza, identifying at least 1,462 employees—12% of the agency's local workforce—as active members of Hamas or other terrorist groups. The report details how Hamas used UNRWA’s schools, medical centers, headquarters, and logistical infrastructure to plan, support, and execute terror operations, including the October 7 massacre of Israeli civilians.
The report includes verified examples of school principals, engineers, and even medical workers who were simultaneously holding operational roles within Hamas’ military wing. In several cases, tunnel shafts and arms caches were discovered beneath UNRWA schools. Intelligence further shows that Hamas operated its military intelligence server farm beneath UNRWA’s Gaza headquarters, drawing electricity from the agency's facilities.
UNRWA Facilities Used for Warfare; Employees Took Part in October 7th Massacre
According to the report’s executive summary, UNRWA facilities were systematically militarized—housing rocket launchers, command centers, and tunnel infrastructure. Among the 546 principals and deputy principals in Gaza’s UNRWA education system, 80 were found to be members of terrorist organizations, with some playing direct roles in October 7t atrocities. The report also confirms that at least 18 UNRWA employees actively participated in the attack, based on verified captured enemy materials (CEM), geolocation, communications, and CCTV evidence.
Amir Weissbrod Publicly Names UNRWA Staff with Terror Ties
In conjunction with the report's release, Israeli Ambassador Amir Weissbrod, Deputy Director General for UN and International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, launched a public campaign naming specific UNRWA employees alleged to be active members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Weissbrod’s disclosures, based on captured enemy material (CEM) and official employment records, include teachers, administrators, drivers, and counselors—some of whom were reportedly involved in kidnappings and killings on October 7th.
One such individual was Mohammad Abu Itiwi, an UNRWA driver who allegedlyt participated in the brutal October 7 massacre at the Nova music festival. Despite Israeli warnings, he remained an active UNRWA employee at the time of his death by the IDF. UN Secretary-General António Guterres publicly lamented his death and referred to him as a "colleague."
Another alarming case involves Nají Abu Aziz, a principal at Khuzaa Prep Boys School, who was found to be a member of Hamas’ chemical weapons manufacturing unit. He reportedly had access to explosives and firearms, yet no disciplinary action was taken by UNRWA.
Further evidence emerged of Hani Kaskin, an UNRWA teacher who openly admitted on his CV to being a PIJ member. His affiliation was also confirmed through a Palestinian Authority interrogation record. Still, Kaskin retained his position.
Two school principals, Khaled Masri and Mohammad Shuwaideh, were both identified as active Hamas operatives. Intelligence indicated the presence of tunnel systems beneath their respective schools—an accusation consistent with the report's finding that Hamas used educational facilities for terror infrastructure. Both names appeared on a July 2024 Israeli list sent to UNRWA, but they were still listed as employees in April 2025.
Ahmad Samir Khatib, a deputy principal, was named as a squad leader in Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade, having completed combat infantry training. He, too, remained on the agency’s employment roster.
A Challenge to UN Credibility
UNRWA’s entanglement with terrorism extends well beyond a single report. For example, a January 2024 investigation by UN Watch exposed a 3,000-member Telegram group comprised of UNRWA teachers in Gaza who openly celebrated Hamas’s October 7th massacre while casually discussing their salaries. The report, titled UNRWA’s Terrorgram, identified dozens of educators—some by name and contract number—who called for the execution of Israelis, encouraged the use of human shields, and shared materials glorifying terrorism with their students. Screenshots and file archives tied the group directly to UNRWA’s internal systems, including training manuals, staff bulletins, and employment records.
UN Watch has flagged over 150 UNRWA staff members since 2015 for inciting violence or promoting antisemitism. The Telegram revelations, combined with the newly declassified intelligence and diplomatic disclosures, highlight an agency in deep institutional crisis—where radicalization has not only gone unchecked but, in many cases, flourished under the cover of international legitimacy. As donor nations reevaluate their support, the question is no longer whether UNRWA has a terror problem—but whether the global community is prepared to confront it.
Hamas didn’t infiltrate UNRWA, as much as the Palestinian movement is a totalitarian one which reduces everything to politics. Hamas and UNRWA are simply two different reflections of the same ideology.