A massive congressional spending bill unveiled on Thursday contains a provision which would cut U.S. funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency until March 2025, according to CBS News. President Joe Biden has agreed to sign the $1.2 trillion spending package immediately if it is passed. The U.S. already halted all funding for UNRWA, the main aid organization operating in Gaza, after Israelreleased claims that several of its 16,000 employees working in Gaza had been involved in the deadly Oct. 7 attacks. The U.S. found the claims to be credible, but did not conduct its own investigation. A recent report found that claims of UNWRA’s involvement in Oct. 7 had been artificially amplified to lawmakers through an online influence campaign. The provision comes as a huge blow to refugees in Gaza who are experiencing starvation, a lack of clean drinking water, and a strained medical system. The U.S. typically gives the humanitarian agency, which provides health care and social services, between $300 and $400 million a year, making it UNRWA’s largest donor. Congress is expected to vote on the spending bill on Friday.
