Two sources familiar with internal deliberations say senior officials in President Donald Trump’s administration are engaged in advanced discussions over potential terrorism-related sanctions targeting the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The talks have reportedly triggered significant legal and humanitarian concerns within the US State Department.
UNRWA, which operates across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, provides education, healthcare, food assistance, and shelter to millions of Palestinian refugees. The agency is widely regarded by UN leadership and Security Council diplomats as the central pillar of humanitarian aid in Gaza — a territory still reeling from two years of intense Israeli military operations that have produced a catastrophic humanitarian emergency.
According to the sources, the administration has not yet determined the scope of the proposed sanctions. Discussions remain open-ended on whether measures would target UNRWA as an institution, specific senior officials within the organisation, or only certain elements of its operations. Likewise, there is no internal consensus on what form the sanctions might take.