Case No: I2500961
INVESTIGATIVE SUMMARY: USAID OIG’s Ongoing Investigation Leads to Debarment of Former UNRWA Employee for Participation in the October 7 Terrorist Attacks in Israel
An ongoing USAID OIG investigation has led to the 10-year, government-wide debarment of Hafez Mousa Mohammed Mousa, a former employee of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), for participation in the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel. As a result, Mousa is prohibited from participating in all United States contracting and grant activities. This investigative result is unprecedented, representing the first known debarment by the United States of a terrorist affiliated with a UN agency responsible for humanitarian assistance programming.
Following the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, USAID OIG initiated a proactive investigation into allegations that UNRWA personnel participated in the attacks and/or were affiliated with Hamas, a U.S. designated foreign terrorist organization.
USAID OIG’s investigation revealed evidence that Mousa is an operative of the Hamas East Jabaliya Battalion and coordinated communications with other suspected Hamas members during the October 7 attacks while serving as an UNRWA school principal.
Our investigation has, to date, referred for debarment two additional former UNRWA employees for their participation in the October 7 attacks, along with 14 other UNRWA employees for having Hamas affiliation. This proactive investigation remains active and ongoing. USAID OIG—with continued oversight jurisdiction over U.S.-funded foreign assistance, will be referring numerous UNRWA personnel for suspension/debarment consideration based on Hamas affiliation and/or participation in the October 7 terrorist attacks.
All subjects to date have been referred to the U.S. Department of State (DoS) for consideration of suspension and/or debarment action.
Relatedly, USAID OIG has ongoing investigative work aimed at preventing the recirculation of terrorist-affiliated actors across aid organizations operating in Gaza. USAID OIG also continues to focus on ensuring accountability for UN staff that commit misconduct in the performance of U.S.-funded awards. In 2022, USAID IG’s investigation resulted in the debarment of numerous World Health Organization doctors and other officials found to have sexually assaulted Congolese women and girls during the Ebola response.
For more on USAID OIG’s investigative results, please visit https://oig.usaid.gov/our-work/investigations.