Trump Cuts U.S. off from U.N. Human Rights Council, Bans UNRWA Funding

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday, February 4, ceasing U.S. engagement with the U.N. Human Rights Council and banning funding for the U.N. relief agency for Gaza.   

The order came as the president was set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump said on Tuesday while signing the executive order, which called for a review of funding to the U.N., that the U.N. has tremendous potential but that it needs to get its “act together.”  

“I’ve always felt that the U.N. has tremendous potential,” Trump said. “It’s not being well-run.” Trump continued, “A lot of these conflicts that we’re working on should be settled, or at least we should have some help in settling them. But we never seem to get help. That should be the primary purpose of the U.N.”  

The U.S. has long accused the Human Rights Council of bias against Israel and turning a blind eye to other nations’ human rights abuses. The Biden administration paused funding to the UNRWA after reports that some of its staffers were involved in some of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks on Israel.   

Meanwhile, European lawmakers also joined the call to shut down the UNRWA after it was revealed that an Israeli-British hostage freed by Hamas recently had been held in the humanitarian group’s facilities.  

Nearly three dozen officials from 14 EU nations signed a letter accusing the embattled UNRWA of being compromised by Hamas terrorists after Emily Damari, 28, said she had been kept in U.N. facilities during her 15 months of captivity in Gaza. (FN/VFI News)

“Our Heavenly Father, we come to You with a weary heart and we place our burdens at Your feet. We pray that You ensure the release of all remaining hostages and that You heal, strengthen, and comfort them daily, as well as their families. We also pray that You bring justice to UNWRA and their cooperation with terrorists. We pray in Yeshua’s name that You mend all of our broken hearts and continue to be our Provider and Healer, as You have always been. May You cause every knee to bow to the name of Yeshua and stop all violence in the Middle East. ”