McCaul demands UNRWA chief testify before Congress over alleged ties to Hamas

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The House Foreign Affairs Committee is demanding that the head of a global Palestinian refugee agency testify before Congress over the "many troubling allegations" leveled against it amid Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza.

Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, sent a letter to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini insisting that he sit for a public hearing.

"I remain extremely concerned over UNRWA’s widespread allegations of corruption and the millions of taxpayer dollars already sent to UNRWA this fiscal year. A full accounting of UNRWA’s complicity in the October 7th attack – as with all instances of terrorism – is urgently needed," McCaul told Fox News Digital.

He said his committee has already heard testimony "that directly contradicts UNRWA’s claims" and "it is now more important than ever that the American people hear directly from Mr. Lazzarini in a public setting."

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Lazzarini had agreed to come before the committee in late January in a "closed, members-only setting," according to the letter, citing "UN privileges and immunities" that prevented him from appearing in the open.

"With regard to your letter, we