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President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the United States to withdraw from two major United Nations bodies: the UN Human Rights Council and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The order also mandates a review of U.S. participation in UNESCO, the UN’s cultural and educational agency.
The move comes during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington.
Historically, the U.S. had been the largest donor to UNRWA, contributing nearly $500 million annually. However, in January 2024, President Biden stopped funding the agency after Israel raised concerns about UNRWA staff links to Hamas.
Congress has since blocked further U.S. funding to UNRWA until at least March 2025.
In his remarks, Trump criticized the UN for failing to reach its full potential, emphasizing the need for the organization to treat nations more fairly.
On the topic of Gaza, Trump suggested that Palestinians should consider relocating to “a more suitable piece of land” in neighboring Jordan or Egypt.
This marks the second time Trump has reduced funding to UNRWA, having previously cut support during his first term.
At that time, he called for Palestinian leaders to resume peace talks with Israel and demanded reforms within the agency. Since returning to office in January, Trump has continued his pattern of withdrawing from international agreements, including leaving the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris climate accord.