![US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) looks on as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks following their meeting at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem on October 23, 2025. [FADEL SENNA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2242482044-scaled-e1761333229581.jpg)
The UN on Friday rejected remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who accused the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) of becoming “a subsidiary of Hamas,” Anadolu reports. “You’ve already heard us talk about how UNRWA is not linked to Hamas,” deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told the reporters. His remarks came after Rubio told the reporters in Israel that the UN is on the ground in the Gaza Strip, but UNRWA is “not going to play any role,” describing it as a “subsidiary of Hamas.” Haq dismissed Rubio’s characterisation, reiterating that UNRWA plays a crucial humanitarian role in Gaza. “UNRWA is the backbone of our humanitarian operations in Gaza. US exploring ways to deploy international forces to Gaza, […]
