CNN's Arlette Saenz Asks John Kirby An Open-Ended Question About U.N. Group With Alleged Hamas Ties

Friday’s White House press briefing went for 86 minutes, but it had fireworks on everything from the border crisis to climate to the Israel-Hamas war. Most notably, Freporters asked the National Security Council’s John Kirby over the bombshell that roughly a dozen United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) workers — the group responsible for U.N.-directed aid in Gaza — may have participated in Hamas’s October 7 terror attack on Israel. A Biden potted plant, CNN’s Arlette Saenz was surprisingly the other reporter and went first with an open-ended request for comment.

CNN's Arlette Saenz: “And the U.N. relief agency said that they have fired some of their staff after Israel has accused them of being involved in the Hamas attack. What is the WH thinking on this? I know the State Department has said that they're suspending aid temporarily. Are there other steps that the U.S., as it’s concerned, could take at this point?”

John Kirby: “Yeah, we have suspended any outlying — um, um — or yet to be allocated funds for UNRWA — the U.N. Relief and Works Agency — um, pending the results of this investigation. We’re obviously going to watch this very closely...As Secretary Blinken made clear in his call with the Secretary General yesterday, we expect that that will be a complete and thorough and transparent investigation. We all want to see that. It’s good for everybody and that those who are — who are — who — who should be — are properly held accountable for that. And as — as you saw, um, the U.N. said, even including the potential for a criminal prosecution.”

The Times of Israel: UNRWA sacks staffers who allegedly participated in Oct. 7 attack; US halts funding
https://www.timesofisrael.com/unrwa-sacks-staffers-who-allegedly-participated-in-oct-7-attack-us-halts-funding/
Rumble: 'It's Bad!'; Doocy, Kirby Throw Down Over U.S. Funding U.N. Group With Alleged Hamas Ties
https://rumble.com/v49k853-its-bad-doocy-kirby-throw-down-over-u.s.-funding-u.n.-group-with-alleged-ha.html