President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Gatekeepers News reports that this decision also includes the termination of U.S. participation in the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The order was signed on a Tuesday, and alongside these actions, President Trump has initiated a review of U.S. involvement in UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
“I always felt the UN has always had tremendous potential but it’s not living up to its potential,” Trump said.
He said the UN needs to be fair to countries that “deserve fairness”.
It also ordered a review of American involvement in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
The US was UNRWA’s biggest donor, providing close to $500 million a year.
However, in January 2024, former President Joe Biden paused funding after Israel accused about a dozen UNRWA staff of taking part in the Hamas attack that triggered the war in Gaza.
Congress formally suspended contributions to the agency until at least March 2025.
Trump’s order to withdraw the US from the UN agency coincides with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington.
Earlier, Trump said Palestinians have no alternative but to leave Gaza.
The US president added that he would like to see them take up a “nice piece of land” in neighbouring Jordan and Egypt.
Trump said he does not necessarily support Israelis settling in Gaza.
“I just support cleaning it up and doing something with it,” he said referring to the embattled strip.
