UNRWA Principal and Teachers’ Union Leader Exposed as Top Hamas Commander Killed in Lebanon

Fatah Sharif, a top Hamas commander killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon early Monday, was revealed to have been a prominent official within the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Sharif was not only responsible for coordinating Hamas’s activities with Hezbollah but also served as the principal of the Deir Yassin Secondary School in the al-Bass refugee camp. In addition, he led UNRWA’s teachers’ union in Lebanon, overseeing 65 schools and nearly 40,000 students, according to watchdog group U.N. Watch.

UNRWA confirmed Sharif’s employment shortly after his death, while Hamas praised him for his “educational and jihadist work,” referring to him as “a successful teacher and an outstanding principal.” This revelation has raised significant concerns about UNRWA’s ties to Hamas, which Israel has long suspected of harboring and employing Hamas operatives within its ranks.

Sharif’s exposure as a Hamas commander is part of a broader pattern, as around a dozen UNRWA employees were revealed to have participated in Hamas’s October 7 attacks. According to Israeli sources, about 10 percent of UNRWA’s workforce is affiliated with Hamas. Despite these allegations, UNRWA has consistently denied any official connection to the terror group, dismissing such claims as Israeli propaganda. However, in August, the agency fired nine staffers for their involvement in the attacks.

Sharif’s dual role within both Hamas and UNRWA is already prompting calls in the U.S. Congress to end funding for the agency. In 2018, former President Donald Trump cut off U.S. aid to UNRWA, but the Biden-Harris administration restored it in 2021. This year, however, President Joe Biden signed a law cutting off U.S. funding to the agency for one year, though there have been indications that the White House supports restoring funding.

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.) has been one of the most vocal critics, calling on the Biden administration to permanently cut off UNRWA funding. “UNRWA’s confirmation that the head of Hamas forces in Lebanon, Fateh Sharif, was their employee is the latest proof that the United Nations has become a cesspool of antisemitism,” Stefanik said, adding that the agency’s ties to Hamas make any future U.S. support unacceptable.

The White House has not commented directly on Sharif’s role, but a week earlier, White House spokesman John Kirby reaffirmed the administration’s support for UNRWA, citing its role in distributing “lifesaving assistance.” The Biden administration is expected to announce a $336 million aid package for Gaza and the West Bank, continuing its controversial financial support of Palestinian humanitarian efforts.

Despite Israeli calls for UNRWA to be designated as a terrorist organization due to its connections to Hamas and its use of anti-Semitic educational materials, the U.S. State Department has consistently rejected this idea. “UNRWA is not a terrorist organization,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in July. The U.S. has also supported legal immunity for UNRWA employees involved in terrorism. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice backed U.N. efforts to shield these employees from prosecution, even those involved in the October 7 attacks.

As UNRWA’s connections to Hamas continue to surface, the debate over U.S. funding for the agency grows more intense. Sharif’s death has thrown a harsh spotlight on the troubling overlap between humanitarian work and terrorist activity in the region, raising urgent questions about the future of international aid and security in the Middle East.

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