In the wake of a U.S.-facilitated ceasefire, Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a significant visit to Israel shortly after Vice President JD Vance returned to Washington. Rubio used the opportunity to voice his strong opposition to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) playing any part in aiding Gaza.

“UNRWA’s not going to play any role in it,” Rubio firmly stated when questioned about the agency’s involvement in delivering humanitarian aid to the region. “The United Nations is here. They’re on the ground. We’re willing to work with them if they can make it work, but not UNRWA. UNRWA became a subsidiary of Hamas.”

Amidst these tensions, UNRWA publicly insisted on its capacity and readiness to operate in Gaza. In a post on X, they highlighted their extensive logistical network and deep-rooted trust within the community, which positions them uniquely to manage aid distribution effectively. “Our teams are ready, inside and outside Gaza. Let us work,” the agency asserted.

During his visit, Rubio addressed the media after touring the Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel on October 24, 2025. His comments underscore a significant diplomatic stance that may shape the dynamics of international aid in the region. (Fadel Senna/Pool via Reuters)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio listens to a question as he speaks to the media after visiting the Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel on Oct. 24, 2025.  (Fadel Senna/Pool via Reuters)

On Oct. 17, days after world leaders backed a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) opened a Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC), which is where Rubio spoke on Friday.

The CMCC is located in southern Israel and will serve as the main hub for Gaza stabilization efforts. It will also oversee implementation of the ceasefire agreement and has an operations floor designed to track real-time developments in Gaza.

During the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) last month, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres spoke at a meeting in support of UNRWA, saying that the agency has “made invaluable contributions to development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security, including for Israel.”

“UNRWA is vital to any prospects for peace and stability in the region,” Guterres added.

UNRWA’s headquarters in Gaza City, Gaza, on Feb. 21, 2024.  (Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu via Getty Images)

However, the U.S. and Israel have taken hard stances against the agency, particularly in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.

President Donald Trump in February reaffirmed the U.S.’s commitment to not fund UNRWA. 

In the executive order, Trump said that “UNRWA has reportedly been infiltrated by members of groups long designated by the Secretary of State as foreign terrorist organizations, and UNRWA employees were involved in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.”

A Palestinian boy walks near an UNRWA school sheltering displaced people that was hit in an overnight Israeli strike in Gaza City on July 5, 2025. (Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters)

In April 2025, when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) demanded Israel work with UNRWA, Washington backed Jerusalem, saying it was under no obligation to work with the agency and had “ample grounds to question UNRWA’s impartiality.”

UNRWA announced in August 2024 the end of an investigation by the Office of Internal Oversight Services into whether its staff participated in the attacks, as Israel claimed. Following the probe, which looked into 19 UNRWA staff members, nine staff members were fired over evidence that “could indicate” they were involved in the attacks.

The investigation found one case in which there was no evidence to confirm the staffer’s involvement and nine other cases in which “the evidence obtained by OIOS was insufficient” to prove their participation, according to UNRWA.

Fox News Digital reached out to UNRWA and Israel’s mission to the U.N. for comment.